Colonial Traces and Multiple Memories
BEYOND THE SURFACE: Colonial Traces and Multiple Memories is a cultural project that seeks to raise awareness of Italy’s colonial past - often neglected or erased from public memory. Based in Forlì, the project explores how Fascist and colonial legacies are still embedded in urban space, particularly through street names, architecture, and public monuments.
Beyond the Surface is connected to EURBAN DECO – “Exploring EU urban landscapes for a deconstruction of colonial narratives”, a European project in which ATRIUM is a partner. EURBAN DECO aims to rethink dissonant urban heritage across European cities through inclusive and participatory strategies. The Forlì experience becomes part of a broader international dialogue on memory, identity, and the future of our shared urban landscapes.
OBJECTIVES
- The project aims at opening a process of reflection and raise awareness of our country's colonial past (often overlooked or erased from public memory) by exploring the traces still present in the street names, architecture and monuments of the city of Forlì
- With a postcolonial approach and the use of public history practices, the project engages citizens, students, and artists in a series of awareness-raising and participatory activities (educational workshops, guided tours, public art interventions, performances, and a citywide festival). The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the links between colonial history and today’s multicultural society, encouraging a collective reflection on symbolic decolonization in public space.
EVENTS
- On 4 November 2025, within the framework of the EUrban DECO project, a workshop was held with students from the Department of Sociology of the University of Bologna. The meeting focused on dissonance as a key to understanding the city’s urban and social transformations.
- On 29 October 2025, in preparation of the event, an art workshop "Laboratorio di Lineolografia" was organised in the Forlì neighbourhoods printing artworks inspired by the stories of people from former colonies. The distribution of these artworks was aimed at encouring the participation in the festival. Download the programme.
- On 29 November 2025, a special event of the EUrban Deco project is organised in Forlì. The "Micro-Festival Decoloniale nelle case" offers various experiences in some homes of the neighbourhoods of Foro Boario and Pianta: food tasting of Eritrean cuisine, the exchange of thoughts and observations, a coffee ritual. Download the event's programme.
- On 14 February and from17-19 February 2026, the follow-up of the project takes place in Forlì in conjunction with the final event of the European project EUrban DECO. Download the event's programme.
OUTPUTS
- Treasure Hunt at the discovery of the wall mosaics on the history of flight and their Fascist military and colonial messages.
Teaching Notebook (created by middle school students)
The Teaching Notebook contains guidelines to repeat the workshop carried out during the project. - History Workshop for high school students carried out by the Deina Association and Video Material created by the students focusing on the wall mosaic of the former College of Military Aeronautics.
- Art Workshop (Laboratorio di Linoleografia)
- Micro-Festival Decoloniale
At the discovery of Italy's colonial past through food tastings of Eritrean cuisine, the exchange of thoughts and observations, a coffee ritual. - Renaming Kit
A kit of the symbolic renaming of street names and more (view Map and QR codes). Find out more on the website of the Association Casa del Cucolo. - Beyond the Surface Final Video about the project activities.
PHOTO GALLERY