Dr Alvise Sforza Tarabochia and Dr Alex Marlow-Mann, lecturers in Italian in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, are hosting the Society for Italian Studies Themed Conference, ‘Visions of Italy’, taking place virtually at the University of Kent on 10-11 September 2020.

Popular conceptions of Italy typically revolve around the visual: the beauty of its landscapes and its historic legacy of fine art and architecture. This dates back at least to the medieval period, and the innovations of artists such as Giotto and visionary writers like Dante. In the twentieth century, it is in the fields of cinema, photography, art, fashion and design that Italy has had the most marked impact around the world.

Concurrently, Italy has also been a favoured subject of visual representation: from Grand Tour photographic albums to mainstream Hollywood films set in Italy, there is no lack of foreign representations of the country and its inhabitants. This conference will explore Italian visual culture and the way in which Italy and Italians have been depicted.

Alvise says: “This year the Society for Italian Studies Themed conference convenes online only, to bring together members of the Society despite the disruptions that 2020 brought about. We are very excited by the variety of themes and speakers the programme brings together and we very much look forward to Professor Gundle’s keynote address.”

The role of the Society for Italian Studies (SIS) is to further the study of Italy, Italian language, literature, film, thought, history, society and arts in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It represents the discipline, providing a voice for Italian Studies at national and international level and participating in the work of the University Council of Modern Languages to promote the study of Modern Languages.

Registration is open on the Kent Hospitality website.