The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy

Poster House, the first museum in the United States dedicated to the global history of posters, will present new exhibitions for the Fall 2025 season. The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy will open to the public on September 27, 2025 and close on February 22, 2026.

The Future Was Then explores how Benito Mussolini’s government created a broad-reaching culture that grew and found its way into the commercial world through advertising and propaganda.

Benito Mussolini came to power post-World War I, when Italy was struggling immensely. Promising to restore law and order and re-establish Italy as a world power he received massive support, became the face of the Fascist party and came into power. During his reign, Mussolini turned to art and advertising to reiterate and spread his cause.

With over 75 pieces, the exhibition chronicles the length of Mussolini’s regime, focusing on the often-blurred line between propaganda and art.

This exhibition comes to Poster House through a generous loan from the Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli, Bologna.