In 1925, the fascists took power in Italy under the dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945). In contrast to Germany, where the National Socialists fought against avant-garde art, the Italian fascists actively incorporated it, promoted it and used it to strengthen their own image.
In 1927, Lucio Fontana returned to Italy from Argentina and organised himself into the structure of the fascist artists' unions, the “Sindacati fascisti Belle Arti”. Membership was a prerequisite for participation in exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale or the Triennale in Milan. Fontana also benefited from the generous support programme of the fascist government, which helped him to obtain exhibitions and public commissions.
