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The Canadian Historical Review 85.1 (2004) 113-116



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'Presenza: A New Look at Italian-Canadian Heritage.' Curators Mauro Peressini And Constance Nebel. Canadian Museum of Civilization, 13 June 2003-6 September 2004

The Canadian Museum of Civilization has recently put together a colourful and informative exhibition that highlights and celebrates the everyday lives of one of Canada's most important immigrant groups. 'Presenza: A New Look at Italian-Canadian Heritage' pays long-awaited homage to the contributions Italian Canadians have made to Canadian culture and society. The exhibition boasts 300 artifacts that range from such historical gems as a 1947 Fiat Topolino to an impressive array of kitchenware, artisanal objects, and musical instruments. Curators Mauro Peressini and Constance Nebel have juxtaposed traditional museum displays with multimedia and interactive installations that are intended to enrich the overall experience of visitors to the show. While the use of the Italian language is ubiquitous, efforts have been made to make this foreign language and culture accessible to all Canadians. Information cards appear in both official languages and video clips sometimes feature Italian Canadians speaking in French or provide interpretive services in the form of subtitles or voiceovers.

This exhibition advertises three main objectives. The first claims that 'Presenza' is about presence. As visitors enter the museum space they read information boards and view artifacts that attempt to provide a historical backdrop to the influx of Italians immigrating to Canada both before and after the Second World War. Visitors learn that Italians settled in various cities and rural settlements across Canada, although a [End Page 113] greater concentration of them established roots in Ontario and Quebec. 'Presenza' thus begins by promising to represent the lives, traditions, and values of the many Italian immigrants who currently inhabit our many cities, towns, and neighbourhoods. Throughout the exhibition, visitors meet Italian Canadians from different locales in Canada who give interviews on a variety of topics, such as the art of cheese and sausage making, the pleasures of gardening, and the importance of family and community. The curators do well in introducing to visitors these idiosyncratic but affable people. A large open space in the middle of the exhibition is set up to resemble an Italian café or sports bar. Visitors are invited to have a seat at one of the tables, relax, and watch a giant screen that plays short clips and interviews featuring Italian Canadians living in various places such as Calgary, Sudbury, and Montreal. There are many other audiovisual installations throughout the exhibition, but this is the one that best conveys the collective attitudes and values of Italian Canadians. Visitors surround each other at the tables and together take part in a quintessential Italian Canadian experience.

'Presenza' strives to represent Italian Canadians all over Canada, and the exhibition generally shows visitors just how many people of Italian descent live in this country. However, I remain puzzled why there is no interview or video clip from any Italian Canadian in Toronto. It seems inappropriate for an exhibition whose first objective is to reveal the 'presence' of a cultural group not to represent Italian Canadians in such an important city as Toronto. In her book Such Hardworking People, Franca Iacovetta writes that Toronto 'emerged as the single most important Canadian target for immigrants from Italy' and, by 1961, 'Toronto had replaced Montreal as the home of the largest Italian population in a Canadian city.'1 Even today, Toronto continues to be home to hundreds of thousands of Italian Canadians.2 This large group deserves recognition in a national exhibition.

The second objective of 'Presenza' is to communicate the relevance of Italian Canadian traditions and values in today's society. This exhibition subscribes to a non-linear view of history that aims to help visitors re-evaluate their experiences, encounters, and attitudes towards Italian immigrants. I found that this exhibition's interpretations of the significance of Italian traditions and values were often refreshing and insightful. First and subsequent generation Italians will find that the exhibition [End Page 114] equally challenges them to reformulate their understanding of...

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