Laura Fiorio
My Fascist Grandpa
Laura Fiorio (*1985) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Berlin and Verona, working with photography, performance, and relational practices. In her projects, she engages with archival material, questioning the power structures inherent in processes of remembrance, the political use of history, and its critical and transformative potential. Her work creates collaborative narratives by revealing the entanglements between individual and institutional histories, initiating discourses on cultural heritage. Fiorio studied Performing Visual Arts in Venice, Art and Social Work in Berlin, and completed a postgraduate program in Decolonizing Architecture in Stockholm.
In her long-term project My Fascist Grandpa, Fiorio examines the concept of "difficult heritage," intertwining personal and public dimensions through the exploration of family archives and monuments. The project was sparked by the discovery of her grandfather’s history—he had served in the fascist army during the Ethiopian campaign in 1937. In response, she developed site-specific projections of hidden photographs, displayed at the Borgo Rizza Heritage Site—a structure built in the 1930s by the fascist entity for colonization.
The projections invited reflection on family histories and collective memories. By involving local and international participants, the project fostered diverse discussions, incorporating collages, live paintings, and written works. Fiorio aimed to make long-hidden narratives visible and reinterpret them through critical engagement.
Fiorio’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Biennale, Sale Docks (Venice), CeCuT (Tijuana), Shanti Road (Bangalore), the Festival Internacional de Fotografía (Valparaíso), as well as in collaboration with the ECCHR and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin). Her social engagement in projects with prisoners, refugees, and homeless individuals in Mexico, Italy, and Germany forms an integral part of her artistic practice.