To celebrate Pride Month in Denmark, from 9 to 20 August, the Italian Cultural Institute in Copenhagen will present “Pride i striber. Fumetti arcobaleno”, a virtual exhibition displayed on its Facebook and Instagram pages that follows an itinerary to explore the complexity of relationships and identities, in a colourful language spelled out in the drawings and scripts of Italian comics. The project is promoted by MaMa Comics, and curated by Mas Silleni and Maya Quaianni, experts in comics and visual communication sector. The graphic design is by Alice Albiri.
The project posted on the Italian Cultural Institute’s social media pages narrates the normality of non-heterosexual relations and non-cisgender identities. The itinerary unfolds the meaning of the acronym LGBTQI+ and starts with the delicate Sapphic loves found in the fanzine “Hai mai notato la forma delle mele?” by Mabel Morri and continues with Antonio’s longing for his finished love with Tancredi in “Un anno senza te” by Luca Vanzella and Giopota.
The exhibition follows with the images of the three self-produced anthologies “Melagrana” (Attaccapanni Press),” Gen(der)re/Genere” (Lökzine) and “Kardiakia” (Ehm Autoproduzioni) while gender identity is addressed in the graphic novel “Play with Fire” by Nicoz Balboa. The itinerary closes with a quick overview of the cartoonists who, thanks to digital cartoons, have become famous through their queer-themed stories and autobiographies, turning into points of reference for social media users.
