International Conference on Decoloniality with Françoise Vergés
On May 26, experts, artists, and activists will gather at The Recovery Plan to rethink
cultural institutions in the face of contemporary neocolonialism and global conflicts.
Florence, May 26, 2026—Colonialism is not a closed chapter of history, but a living force
that continues to shape the present through political, economic, and military dynamics. In
an era marked by new occupations, the destruction of cultural heritage, and supremacist
rhetoric, cultural institutions are being called upon to assume an unprecedented level of
responsibility.
Against this backdrop, the international conference “Decoloniality and Neocolonialisms:
Museums and Heritage in Times of War,” was conceived as a full day of public discussion
taking place in Florence on May 26, 2026. The initiative is promoted by Attitudes_spazio
alle arti and Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA), in collaboration with
Black History Month Florence, The Recovery Plan, the University of London, Villa
Romana, Associazione Scripta Firenze, and the Institut Français of Florence.
The event is part of the Yekatit 12_19 Network program.
The Core of the Debate: the “Post-Museum”
Curated by Viviana Gravano and Pietro Gaglianò, with the support of young curators
Lucrezia Gelardo and Manuel Panìco, the conference aims to question the actual
effectiveness of the decolonization processes undertaken by European and North Atlantic
museums. The central question is urgent: can museums, originally conceived as pillars of
colonial thought, transform themselves into spaces of dissent and resistance today?
The discussion will focus on the concept of the “post-museum,” a cultural framework
proposed by the renowned scholar and activist Françoise Vergés, who will open the
conference with a keynote lecture. According to Vergés, decolonizing the museum
requires a leap of imagination — integrating anti-colonial, transfeminist, and queer
aesthetics in order to build institutions that are genuinely anti-racist and anti-capitalist.
Voices and Languages of Resistance
The morning session will feature contributions from: Mistura Allison (Villa Romana),
Benedicta Djumpah (The Recovery Plan), Pietro Gaglianò (SRISA, Florence), Viviana
Gravano (Academy of Fine Arts of Florence), Giulia Grechi (Academy of Fine Arts of
Naples), Maria Pia Guermandi (Catholic University of Milan), and Justin Randolph
Thompson (Black History Month Florence).
In the afternoon, a second session will give ample space to emerging research through
presentations by PhD candidates and independent researchers selected through an open
call.
The event will conclude with the screening of the video Uncovering the Afterlife of Italian
Empire, a work produced by the Department of Modern Languages at the University of
London and curated by Charles Burdett together with Viviana Gravano and Giulia Grechi,
directed by Isabella Gaffè. The project critically investigates the traces and suppressed
legacies of Italian imperialism.
The Recovery Plan, Via Santa Reparata, 19R, Firenze
9:30 a.m. – Keynote lecture by Françoise Vergès followed by a Q&A session with the
audience (speech in English)
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. – Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. – Talks by Mistura Allison, Benedicta Djumpah, Pietro Gaglianò, Viviana
Gravano, Giulia Grechi, Maria Pia Guermandi, Justin Randolph Thompson (20 minutes for
each talk) (talks in Italian without translation)
1:30 p.m. – Lunch break
2:30 p.m. – Afternoon session featuring independent early-career researchers and PhD
candidates selected through a public call (15 minutes each for 4 presentations) (talks in
Italian without translation)
3:30 p.m. – Open Q&A session with the audience, with responses from all speakers
participating in the morning and afternoon sessions
5:00 p.m. – Coffee Break
5:20 p.m. – Presentation and screening of the video Uncovering The Afterlife of Italian
Empire
7:00 p.m. – Closing remarks and end of the event
Info: info.attitudespazioallearti@gmail.com