Legendary masters like Giotto and Bernini will appeal to those who prefer ancient art, while contemporary art enthusiasts won't be disappointed either, thanks to in-depth explorations of Marina Abramović, Rothko, and Rotella. The exhibitions coming to Italy in 2026 appeal to a diverse audience, offering a mix of diverse artistic experiences and influences.

BRESCIA – The first fifteen years of the 20th century, with the new sensibility that influenced various artistic, creative, and productive fields (painting, sculpture, architecture, graphics, fashion, photography, applied arts, and the nascent world of cinema), are the focus of the "Liberty" exhibition at Palazzo Martinengo from January 24th to June 14th. Curated by Manuel Carrera, Davide Dotti, and Anna Villari, the retrospective brings together over 100 works (paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and posters) to immerse the public in the new Art Nouveau style that took hold in Italy, also exploring the cultural and social climate alongside the artistic one.

MILAN – More than 90 works by major artists (such as Silvestro Lega, Giovanni Fattori, Telemaco Signorini, and Raffaello Sernesi) make up the exhibition "I Macchiaioli," running from February 3 to June 14 at Palazzo Reale. This is the first of the latest studies by the movement's three most authoritative Italian experts (Francesca Dini, Elisabetta Matteucci, and Fernando Mazzocca, the creators and curators). Divided into nine sections, the exhibition recounts the "national" experiment, or Risorgimento project, of the Macchiaioli, cultured painters who identified both with the ideas of Mazzini and the positivist influences emanating from France. Also at Palazzo Reale, from February 7 to September 27, is the exhibition conceived by Anselm Kiefer for the Sala delle Cariatidi, titled "Kiefer. The Alchemists." Open by reservation only, the exhibition features a series of 38 canvases in which Kiefer pays homage to female alchemists, often forgotten figures yet fundamental to the development of modern scientific thought.

ROVIGO – At Palazzo Roverella from February 27 to June 28, the exhibition "Zandomeneghi and Degas. Impressionism between Florence and Paris," curated by Francesca Dini, opens. Engaging in the dialogue between tradition and avant-garde, the exhibition documents, through exceptional loans, the intense—at times thorny, always fruitful—relationship that united the two artists during their long friendship in Paris.

VENICE – Marina Abramović will be the protagonist from May 6 to October 19 at the Gallerie dell'Accademia with the exhibition "Transforming Energy", presented on the occasion of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia and to celebrate the artist's eightieth birthday. Curated by Shai Baitel (together with Abramović herself), the exhibition features iconic works such as Imponderabilia (1977), Rhythm 0 (1974), and Light/Dark (1977), alongside projections of historic performances and new creations created for the occasion.

GENOA – Over 100 works from international museums, foundations, and public and private collections comprise the major retrospective "Mimmo Rotella. 1945-2005," curated by Alberto Fiz and produced in collaboration with the Mimmo Rotella Foundation, on view at Palazzo Ducale from April 24 to September 13. Conceived to mark the 20th anniversary of the artist's death, the exhibition explores Rotella's entire creative career, from his early post-World War II abstract experiments, influenced by Surrealism, to the New Icons of his later years, created through collage and overpainting.

FLORENCE – "Rothko in Florence" is the major exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, running from March 14 to August 23. The show traces Rothko's entire career: from the 1930s and 1940s, characterized by figurative works and a dialogue with the languages of Expressionism and Surrealism, to the 1950s and 1960s, distinguished by his celebrated abstract canvases. "Magnifico 1492," scheduled for fall 2026 and organized by the Uffizi Galleries, will feature over 100 works, including masterpieces and loans from around the world, dedicated to Lorenzo de' Medici, the most celebrated member of the Florentine dynasty. This exhibition, curated by the Uffizi Galleries, will reconstruct for the first time the vast art collection of the legendary patron of the arts, a prince of the Renaissance.

ROME – From February 12 to June 14, the National Galleries of Ancient Art present the major exhibition "Bernini and the Barberinis" in the rooms of Palazzo Barberini, curated by Andrea Bacchi and Maurizia Cicconi. The project illustrates the fruitful relationship between the artist and Maffeo Barberini, his first and most important patron, who later became Pope Urban VIII. Divided into six sections, the exhibition traces Bernini's career from his beginnings to his full maturity. Among the most significant works on display are The Four Seasons from the Aldobrandini Collection and Saint Sebastian from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid.

PERUGIA - From March 14 to June 14, the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria celebrates the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi with the exhibition "Giotto and Saint Francis. A Revolution in Fourteenth-Century Umbria," curated by Veruska Picchiarelli and Emanuele Zappasodi. The exhibition recounts the moment when the saint's charisma met the artist's genius, bringing about the birth of modern art. It was precisely during the construction of the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, beginning in 1288, that the transition from the refined and stylized language, borrowing from the Byzantine tradition, known as the "Greek Manner," to the figurative revolution spearheaded by the Florentine master began.

(Unioneonline)

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