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How We Fight Back: Sarkis’s Two Rainbows, a Case Study in Decolonizing the Italian Museum

Shaon, Savannah
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Abstract
This thesis focuses on Two Rainbows, a large neon work by conceptual artist Sarkis Zabunyan. It has been exhibited multiple times in different forms and in several international venues, most notably as part of Istanbul. Passion, Joy, Fury, a 2015 exhibition curated by Hou Hanru and Donatella Saroli at the MAXXI - National Museum of 21st-Century Art in Rome. My methodological approach is informed by the art-historical literature on identity and cultural politics, as this is a central debate in contemporary art and its histories. Sarkis’ identity as a Turkish-born man of Armenian descent provides him with a unique perspective to weigh in on these contemporary discussions. His background and biography are part and parcel of the idea of resistance present in many of his works. This in turn impacts the way his work is received in various cultural and political contexts. Much of Sarkis’ work addresses the idea of hope and new beginnings following political conflicts, like that of the 2013 Gezi Park uprisings in Taksim Square. Two Rainbows is no different. It stands as a bright symbol of resistance and civil disobedience against an oppressive government following the Gezi Park repression, and remains a beacon for opponents of Turkey’s far-right dictatorial regime. In the context of decolonizing Italian museums, and the concept of decolonization in the art historical field, the MAXXI took early steps in challenging the Italian museum, the concept of Italian art as exclusive, and the inherent Eurocentricity of the art historical canon. The process of decolonization necessarily takes different forms in different institutions and countries. In Italy, perhaps, this might imply situating Italy in a more extensive and inclusive definition of the Mediterranean, rather than as a pillar of Western civilization, or promoting non- Western artists in ways that do not propagate primitivism or exoticism. Indeed “decolonization” iii has, over the past twenty years, gone well beyond a narrow dictionary definition of holding colonies in other countries. It has become short-hand for challenging the Western canon in art history and in museum studies, for challenging the white (and frequently also patriarchal and heteronormative) bias inherent in a Eurocentric view of art and culture. Ultimately, this thesis focuses on Two Rainbows as a case study to enquire about the specific cultural, social, and political context that Italy, and Rome in particular, presents with regard to one of the most powerful, and necessary, endeavors of contemporary art history. While “decolonization" is a subject of crucial debate in art history and museum studies in England and the United States, in particular, the question seems somewhat peripheral still in Italy. Sarkis’ work, and the exhibition cycle that Istanbul. Passion, Joy, Fury contributed to is one the rare instances of an Italian institution broaching this topic. Might this be a decisive instance of taking steps towards decolonizing the Italian museum?
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2022.
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2022
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Sarkis, 1938-
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Shaon, Savannah. "How We Fight Back: Sarkis’s Two Rainbows, a Case Study in Decolonizing the Italian Museum". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2022.
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