Historia (1996–1998)

Overview

Flavia Gandolfo’s work investigates how the visual conventions and material cultures of nationalism institutionalise state identities. Historia (1996–1998) is a collection of portraits and photographs of drawings tracing primary education in Peru, revealing how state- centered identities are created and structured through the public school system. Documenting items such as blackboards, maps and notebooks, the artist highlights their significance to the viewer as global material culture and lived social realities. The series is a visual evaluation of the limited and distorted official curriculum of history, race and class.