Socially engaged art practices in 1970s Italy: the "Mortedison" action

This thesis examines Mortedison (1973), an artistic action carried out in the industrial area of Porto Marghera, and its subsequent presentation at the Venice Biennale. Developed within a context marked by social conflict, labor struggles, and increasing environmental awareness, Mortedison addressed the ecological and human consequences of industrial production, symbolically focusing on the Montedison chemical complex. The research analyzes the action as a site-specific and politically engaged artistic practice, emphasizing its performative dimension and its direct relationship with the industrial landscape of Marghera. The artistic action was later presented at the Venice Biennale of 1976 through documentation and curatorial mediation. This shift from an extra-institutional setting to a major international art exhibition raises critical questions regarding the institutionalization of radical art practices and the redefinition of their political meaning. The thesis positions Mortedison as a significant case study in the intersection of art and activism.