A presente investigação surgiu da constatação de entrecruzamentos entre os discursos visuais da Mostra da Revolução Fascista (Roma, 1932-34) e do pavilhão soviético na Exposição Internacional de Imprensa de Colônia (Alemanha, 1928). Tais entrecruzamentos - reforçados e consubstanciados por contatos concretos entre hierarcas do fascismo e do stalinismo - levaram, a partir dos materiais visuais selecionados, à investigação de problemáticas comuns aos dois regimes, como a industrialização acelerada tardia, a expansão produtiva e o culto do chefe. Nesse sentido, as reflexões de A. Gramsci e W. Benjamin acerca da \"revolução passiva\" e da \"estetização da política\", respectivamente, constituíram constructos crítico-teóricos cruciais no desenvolvimento reflexivo da investigação. O objetivo da pesquisa de doutorado, em síntese, foi examinar e refletir sobre o protagonismo da fotografia como instrumento de reprodução simbólica e dominação, tanto na Itália fascista e quanto na URSS stalinista. / The present research emerged from the perception of intersections in the language field between the Exhibition of Fascist Revolution (Rome, 1932-1934) and the Soviet Pavilion at the International Press Exhibition (Cologne, 1928). These intersections - strengthened and substantiated by concrete interactions between Fascist and Stalinist hierarchs - lead also to a research, based in selected visual material, about common problems for both regimes such as a catch-up industrialization, production expansion and the cult of the leader´s personality. In this sense, Antonio Gramsci\'s reflections on the notion of \"passive revolution\" and Walter Benjamin\'s on the \"aestheticization of politics\" emerged as fundamental critical-theoretical contributions. In short, the aim of this doctoral research was to analyse and reflect about the protagonism of photography as an instrument for symbolic reproduction and domination, both in the Fascist Italy and in the Stalinist URSS.

A presente investigação surgiu da constatação de entrecruzamentos entre os discursos visuais da Mostra da Revolução Fascista (Roma, 1932-34) e do pavilhão soviético na Exposição Internacional de Imprensa de Colônia (Alemanha, 1928). Tais entrecruzamentos - reforçados e consubstanciados por contatos concretos entre hierarcas do fascismo e do stalinismo - levaram, a partir dos materiais visuais selecionados, à investigação de problemáticas comuns aos dois regimes, como a industrialização acelerada tardia, a expansão produtiva e o culto do chefe. Nesse sentido, as reflexões de A. Gramsci e W. Benjamin acerca da \"revolução passiva\" e da \"estetização da política\", respectivamente, constituíram constructos crítico-teóricos cruciais no desenvolvimento reflexivo da investigação. O objetivo da pesquisa de doutorado, em síntese, foi examinar e refletir sobre o protagonismo da fotografia como instrumento de reprodução simbólica e dominação, tanto na Itália fascista e quanto na URSS stalinista. / The present research emerged from the perception of intersections in the language field between the Exhibition of Fascist Revolution (Rome, 1932-1934) and the Soviet Pavilion at the International Press Exhibition (Cologne, 1928). These intersections - strengthened and substantiated by concrete interactions between Fascist and Stalinist hierarchs - lead also to a research, based in selected visual material, about common problems for both regimes such as a catch-up industrialization, production expansion and the cult of the leader´s personality. In this sense, Antonio Gramsci\'s reflections on the notion of \"passive revolution\" and Walter Benjamin\'s on the \"aestheticization of politics\" emerged as fundamental critical-theoretical contributions. In short, the aim of this doctoral research was to analyse and reflect about the protagonism of photography as an instrument for symbolic reproduction and domination, both in the Fascist Italy and in the Stalinist URSS.

Cette recherche vise à mettre en lumière l'œuvre politique de Walter Benjamin, en particulier sa théorie sur le fascisme. Nous souhaitons examiner comment sa théorie sur l'esthétisation de la politique contribue à la science politique en tant que théorie majeure en, premièrement, positionnant sa pensée dans les écrits de son époque – entre les approches marxistes et plus spiritualistes – et, deuxièmement, en identifiant un schéma explicatif dans sa théorie sur le fascisme. Nous soutenons qu'en examinant les écrits de Walter Benjamin, il est possible d'aller plus loin qu'une théorie sur l'esthétique sous les régimes fascistes pour trouver une théorie plus complète sur le fascisme en tant que régime basé sur l'esthétique. Le projet se concentre sur le schéma du désenchantement et du réenchantement – perte de l'aura et insertion d'une fausse aura par les fascistes –, et l'étudie sous l'angle de la pensée politique pour en extraire une théorie politique du fascisme. L’originalité de cet auteur tient non seulement à son approche politique, mais aussi à son positionnement théorique par rapport à ses contemporains : son discours n’est ni matérialiste comme marxistes ni uniquement culturel comme les spiritualistes. Il se situe dans un entre-deux et accorde une importance particulière à l'expérience humaine ainsi qu’aux rapports de production capitalistes. Enfin, cette recherche étudie le concept d'Erfahrung, très présent dans l'œuvre de Benjamin, afin de clarifier sa relation avec l'aura et son déclin et d’enrichir la théorie politique de l’auteur. / This research aims to bring to light the political work of Walter Benjamin, specifically his theory on fascism. We wish to examine how his theory on the aestheticization of politics contributes to political science as a major theory by, first, positioning his thinking within the writings of his times—between marxist and more spiritualist approaches—and, second, by identifying an explanatory scheme in his theory on fascism. We argue that by looking through the writings of Walter Benjamin, one can go further than a theory on aesthetics under fascist regimes to find a more complete theory on fascism as a regime based on aesthetics. The project focuses, on the scheme of disenchantment and reenchantment—loss of aura and false aura inserted by fascists—, and studies it under the lens of political thought to extract a political theory on fascism. The originality of this author lies not only in his approach to politics, but also in his theoretical positioning compared to his contemporaries: he holds neither a materialist nor a spiritualist discourse. He finds himself in a middle ground where great importance is given to the human experience, but also where the capitalist relations of production are heavily criticized. Finally, this research studies the concept of Erfahrung, heavily present in Benjamin’s work to bring clarity to its relation to the aura and its decline.