At the 2026 Biennale, the Bulgarian Pavilion Transforms into a Political Laboratory to Explore the Present

Alla Biennale 2026 il Padiglione della Bulgaria si trasforma in laboratorio politico per esplorare il presente

The Bulgarian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, housed in the Sala Tiziano of the Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, has been transformed into a speculative political laboratory by The Federation of Minor Practices. Curated by Martina Yordanova, the project features an all-female group of artists—Veneta Androva, Gery Georgieva, Maria Nalbantova, and Rayna Teneva—whose four films serve as "signals" exploring tensions around ecology, media systems, disinformation, and collective responsibility. The pavilion is conceived as a research headquarters from the near future, open until November 22, 2026.

Simone Venturini is the new mayor of Venice: here's what he wants to do for culture (and yes, the councilor will return)

Simone Venturini è il nuovo sindaco di Venezia ecco cosa vuole fare per la cultura (e sì, tornerà l’assessore)

Simone Venturini, a 38-year-old center-right candidate, has been elected mayor of Venice in a surprise first-round victory on May 25, 2026. Born and raised in Marghera, Venturini entered politics at 22 and is seen as the protégé of outgoing mayor Luigi Brugnaro. His campaign emphasized daily belonging and crisis management experience, from the pandemic to overtourism.

“Villa Borghese è perfetta e non si tocca”. Siamo andati a vedere se è proprio così perfetta

A private company donated a design competition to the Galleria Borghese in Rome, aiming to expand the museum's exhibition spaces and services. Before any winning project was selected, associations like Italia Nostra protested, claiming the initiative would desecrate Villa Borghese. The article's author visited the park to document its current state, finding decay: a wrecked Globe Theatre, neglected ponds, graffiti, trash, dilapidated buildings, and a degraded horse-riding track. The author argues that while the park is defended as "perfect and untouchable," it is actually suffering from real neglect that goes unaddressed by the same groups opposing development.

The papal residence of Castel Gandolfo had been opened to museum visits by Pope Francis, now Pope Leo closes it again

La residenza papale di Castel Gandolfo era stata aperta a visite museali da Papa Francesco, ora Papa Leone la chiude di nuovo

Pope Leo XIV is closing the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo to the public as of July 2026, ending nearly a decade of museum access initiated by Pope Francis. Online ticket sales stop on June 30, and the palace will revert to its original function as the pope's summer residence. The decision follows preparatory works begun in May 2025 and is partly motivated by security concerns, as the current temporary lodging at Villa Barberini has logistical and access-control issues.

La comunità di Tolfa, nelle colline sopra Civitavecchia, sta creando un grande archivio fotografico

The small Italian town of Tolfa, near Rome, is launching 'Archivio Paese,' a community-driven photographic archive project. Funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the local municipality, the initiative focuses on collecting, digitizing, cataloging, and valorizing vernacular photographs held in private family archives. The core of the project is the Giovanni Padroni collection, donated to the Chirone association and now housed in Tolfa's Polo Culturale. The project is artistically directed by Valentina Vannicola and Alessandro Toscano.

Provincial Cosmos. Interview with Serena Fineschi, the artist who turned off all the lights of Siena

Provincia Cosmica. Intervista a Serena Fineschi, l’artista che ha spento tutte le luci di Siena

Serena Fineschi, an artist from Siena, Italy, discusses her return to her hometown after twelve years abroad, primarily in Brussels. She reflects on her public art projects, including one where she turned off all the city's lights for three minutes without warning, and another titled "Assistere il buio." The interview explores how her time in Belgium reshaped her artistic vision, shifting her perspective from the golden light of Siena to the sharp contrasts of northern light.

Interview on the Great Exhibition at the Colosseum Dedicated to Troy: 'Aeneas Is the Bridge Between Our Cultures'

Intervista sulla grande mostra al Colosseo dedicata a Troia: “Enea è il ponte tra le nostre culture”

A major exhibition titled "Troia e Roma. Miti, leggende, storie del Mediterraneo antico" will open at the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo in Rome on June 12, 2026, featuring over 220 artifacts from 19 Turkish museums, including 50 works never before seen by the Italian public. The show is curated with Sinem Düzgören, the new director of the Museo di Troia in Çanakkale, who arranged the loan of 100 works from her museum. The exhibition includes a monumental replica of the Trojan Horse and highlights the mythological and historical ties between Troy and Rome, with key pieces such as the Head of Augustus and a marble copy of the Aphrodite of Cnidus.

Behind Palazzo Citterio in Milan there is a beautiful garden and a bistro open to all for lunch and dinner

A Milano dietro a Palazzo Citterio c’è un bellissimo giardino e un bistrot aperto a tutti dove pranzare e cenare

Palazzo Citterio in Milan is reopening its lush courtyard garden as Citterio Garden for summer 2026, starting May 27, with extended hours from 9 AM to 10 PM. The garden bistro, adjacent to the Orto Botanico di Brera, introduces a partnership with St-Germain liqueur, transforming into a "Giardino St-Germain" with signature cocktails. A major new collaboration brings Michelin-starred chef Claudio Sadler to craft an elevated Italian menu, managed by AFM Banqueting under the Grande Brera institution. The museum also announces summer exhibitions, including a show on Giovanni Agostino da Lodi and neoclassical displays featuring the Canova collection from Banca Ifis and the Sommariva miniature collection.

Lavorare nell’arte: opportunità da Civiche Scuole di Milano, Extragarbo, Bolzano Art Weeks, FAI e Aterballetto

This article from Artribune compiles five current job and opportunity listings in the Italian art and cultural sector. It announces open admissions for the 2026-27 academic year at Milan's Civiche Scuole (including schools of cinema, interpreting, music, and theater), a call for artists under 35 by Extragarbo to create a permanent public artwork at the former Centrale del Latte in Vicenza, an open call for artists for the sixth edition of Bolzano Art Weeks (BAW25) focusing on climate awareness and urban regeneration, and a job opening for a visitor services assistant at FAI's Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. Each listing includes deadlines, contact details, and application links.

In Milan, the surprising wild nature of Luciana Meazza's blind drawing

A Milano la sorprendente natura selvaggia del disegno cieco di Luciana Meazza

The article reviews Luciana Meazza's exhibition 'Wild Thoughts' at Tipografia Fratelli Bonvini in Milan, showcasing her vibrant, spontaneous paintings and works on paper. The show features two series: studio paintings on canvas and outdoor works on paper, including blind drawing and leporellos, all inspired by nature and executed with a free, childlike hand.

Rigenerare Roma: in arrivo un numero speciale della newsletter Render. Iscrivetevi

The article announces the upcoming 58th edition of Artribune's newsletter 'Render', focused on urban and cultural regeneration, set to be released on Monday, May 25, 2026. It highlights the winning project 'Roma Continua' from the 'A Vision for Rome' call for ideas promoted by Fondazione Roma REgeneration, led by architects Alessandro Cambi and Bruna Dominici of studio IT'S, in collaboration with OMA, LGSMA, OKRA, NET Engineering, and others. The second-place project 'New Times New Roma' is also mentioned, involving groups like From, Fosbury Architecture, and BASE Milano. The newsletter also covers new regeneration projects across Italy and Europe, and notes the upcoming 20th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice.

Extraordinary opening of Forte Aurelia in Rome. The military garrison becomes a new space for culture

Apertura straordinaria del Forte Aurelia a Roma. Il presidio militare diventa nuovo spazio per la cultura

After ten years of restoration, the Forte Aurelia complex in Rome has reopened to the public as a cultural space, museum, and venue for events and exhibitions. Built between 1877 and 1881 as part of Rome's defensive ring, the fort was later used as a shelter, Red Cross hospital, and logistics center for the Guardia di Finanza. The official inauguration took place on the symbolic date of Rome's founding, attended by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, and Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, who framed the project within a broader strategy to enhance the city's historical heritage.

The Women of Grigory Gluckmann on Display at the Archaeological Museum of Aosta

Le donne di Grigory Gluckmann in mostra al Museo Archeologico di Aosta

The Museo Archeologico Regionale di Aosta is hosting the first Italian exhibition dedicated to Grigory Gluckmann (1898–1973), a Belarusian-born American painter. Curated by Daria Jorioz and Valeria Gorbova, the show, titled "Grigory Gluckmann. Tra luce e grazia," runs until June 2, 2026, and features works centered on the female figure. Gluckmann's career spanned Russia, Berlin, Florence, Paris, and the United States, and his style blends Renaissance techniques with modern sensibility.

Il Museo Nazionale d’Arte dell’Ucraina di Kiev colpito e danneggiato dai bombardamenti russi. Le immagini

Between the night of May 23 and the early hours of May 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine using 600 drones and 90 missiles. The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) in Kyiv suffered severe structural damage, along with government buildings. The attack was reportedly a response to a Ukrainian bombing of a dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk. The museum, founded in the late 19th century and housed in a neoclassical building opened in 1904, holds nearly 40,000 works spanning over a thousand years of Ukrainian art, including medieval icons, Baroque masterpieces, and avant-garde pieces.

A Milano c’è una mostra di bambole giapponesi. Un tempo prodotti industriali oggi pezzi da collezione

A new exhibition in Milan at the gallery N.51 presents the work of Japanese artist Shigeru Arai, known as NAGNAGNAG, who is celebrated for transforming industrial soft vinyl dolls (Sofubi) into unique art objects. The show, titled "Shigeru Arai Tribute Exhibition," marks the first time his work is displayed in Italy, tracing the history of Sofubi from its post-WWII origins in Japan—where it replaced dangerously flammable cellulose toys—to its elevation as a collectible art form through Arai's distinctive techniques, including biting the soft vinyl and applying multiple layers of paint.

La storica discoteca Paradiso di Rimini si trasforma in un polo per l’arte. La storia

The historic Paradiso nightclub in Rimini, Italy, which opened in 1957 and became one of Europe's most famous discos, is being transformed into a cultural hub. Acquired at auction in 2018 by Filo Srl after years of abandonment, the site underwent extensive renovation beginning in 2023. The new venue, named Casa Paradiso Art Gallery, is set to open between October and November 2026. It will feature art exhibitions, fashion shows, and corporate events, housed in a sustainable building that retains symbolic elements of its past, such as the iconic entrance gate.

Reasoning beyond accounting: here is the first step for a valuation of cultural heritage

Ragionare oltre la contabilità: ecco il primo step per una valutazione del patrimonio culturale

Angelo Argento recently published an article examining the valuation of cultural heritage in light of ongoing public accounting reforms in Italy. The piece moves beyond iconic landmarks like the Colosseum or Uffizi to focus on smaller, territorial assets such as archives, civic museums, and lesser-known archaeological sites, questioning how and whether a specific economic value can be assigned to them. It explores different international approaches—from market-based valuations in Australia and France to symbolic €1 entries in the U.S.—highlighting the global trend toward quantifying cultural heritage.

Interview with French cartoonist Hugo Didier who draws the Cannes Film Festival 79

Intervista al fumettista francese Hugo Didier che disegna il Festival di Cannes 79

French cartoonist and illustrator Hugo Didier (Paris, 1993) has been commissioned to reinterpret and narrate the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival (May 12–23) through his drawings, which have appeared on the festival's official Instagram account. In an interview, Didier discusses how cinema influences his visual imagination, his preference for traditional drawing techniques (nib pens, Rotring technical pen, ink washes, watercolor) over digital, and his creative process that often begins with spontaneous sketches. He also reflects on the role of comics in contemporary French culture, noting their ability to explore diverse themes and reach wide audiences through a playful yet accessible medium.

Chiamata aperta ad artisti e architetti under 35 a Roma. Obiettivo? Progettare un’opera in dialogo col Gazometro

A new open call for artists and architects under 35 has been launched in Rome, inviting proposals for a public artwork in dialogue with the iconic Gazometro (gasometer) in the Ostiense district. The initiative is promoted by Spazio Taverna in collaboration with Eni and ROAD – Rome Advanced District, and was announced on May 21 during the event "ON THE ROAD – Distretti di Innovazione." Participants are asked to design a monument, pavilion, or installation that engages with the former industrial complex, now a creative hub hosting the cultural program Arte al Gazometro since 2024. A jury including Marco Bassan, Ludovico Pratesi, Mattia Voltaggio, Claudio Quaternato, and Lorenza Baroncelli will select the winner, who will receive a €3,000 prize; the ten finalists will be published on Artribune and gain access to a Masterclass at the School of Vision. Submissions are open from May 21 to July 31, 2026, with results announced in September.

Buongiorno Ceramica! 2026 is underway. All the unmissable events of the twelfth edition

Al via Buongiorno Ceramica! 2026. Tutti gli eventi da non perdere della dodicesima edizione

The twelfth edition of "Buongiorno Ceramica!" will take place on May 23-24, 2026, transforming historic centers, museums, and workshops across Italy into open-air laboratories. The event spans from Piedmont to Sicily, featuring exhibitions, installations, guided tours, performances, tastings, and gastronomic events. Highlights include the Ceramiche Sonore competition in Castellamonte, the Museo della Ceramica's tribute to Marco Levi in Mondovì, and open studios in Montelupo Fiorentino, with participation from 60 cities organized by the Associazione Italiana Città della Ceramica.

Le dimore storiche sono il più vasto e straordinario museo diffuso d’Italia. Una giornata per celebrarle

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, Italian historic homes will open their doors free to the public as part of the 16th National Day promoted by ADSI – Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane. The 2025 edition involved over 500 properties and more than 250,000 visitors, highlighting the widespread cultural heritage across Italy. The article argues that this event is not merely cultural or tourist-oriented but raises broader questions about the future of Italy's fragile territories and the need for a cohesive national strategy for territorial rebalancing.