The regeneration of Rome's former barracks begins, where the Museum of Science will also rise. Objectives and timeline of the construction site

Parte la rigenerazione delle ex caserme di Roma, dove sorgerà anche il Museo della Scienza. Obiettivi e tempi del cantiere

The Italian government, through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and COIMA Sgr, has launched the regeneration of the former Guido Reni military barracks in Rome's Flaminio district. The 5-hectare site, abandoned since 2019 and located opposite the MAXXI museum, will be transformed into a mixed-use urban district including housing, retail, a hotel, green spaces, and a new Museum of Science. Demolitions are set to begin in October 2026, with the project expected to be completed by 2029. The museum will be designed by Rome-based studio ADAT, which won an international competition in 2023.

Story of Max Peiffer Watenphul, the Bauhaus painter who found his new homeland in Italy

Storia di Max Peiffer Watenphul, il pittore del Bauhaus che trovò in Italia la sua nuova patria

A major retrospective titled "Max Peiffer Watenphul. Pittore del Bauhaus" has opened at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAMC) in Rome, curated by Gregor H. Lersch, director of the Museo Casa di Goethe. The exhibition explores the complex artistic journey of Max Peiffer Watenphul (1896–1976), a German Bauhaus-trained painter who found a second home in Italy. It highlights his multidisciplinary approach, his troubled painting style marked by unusual materials and scratched surfaces, and his deep connection to Italy, where he fled after Nazi persecution and where he lived until his death.

Obey racconta la sua mostra a Napoli ad Artbox su Sky Arte

The article covers the latest episode of Artbox on Sky Arte, focusing on the exhibition "OBEY: Power to the peaceful" at Gallerie d'Italia in Naples, running until September 6. Curator Giuseppe Pizzuto, artist Shepard Fairey (OBEY), and Michele Coppola of Intesa Sanpaolo discuss the show, which features over 130 works addressing global imbalances and peace as a political act. The episode also includes a segment on overtourism by Maria Vittoria Baravelli, a book review of "Misia e Basta" by Francesca Frigerio, and a feature on the interdisciplinary exhibition "La Maddalena di Piero di Cosimo" at Palazzo Venezia in Rome, curated by Edith Gabrielli.

Being a Street Photographer. Interview with Simone Morelli, the Artist of Slowness

Essere street photographer. Intervista a Simone Morelli, l’artista della lentezza

Simone Morelli, a street photographer born in Rome in 1987, discusses his slow, analog approach to photography in an interview with Artribune. He began after receiving a Praktica film camera as a gift in Sweden in 2012, and was captivated by the process of shooting and printing on film. Morelli describes his method as instinctive yet deliberate, often working on long-term projects that build a coherent visual narrative rather than seeking single 'beautiful' images. He cites Josef Koudelka as a key influence and emphasizes the importance of patience and reflection in an era dominated by fast, digital imagery.

Provincia Cosmica. Interview with Giuseppe Stampone, the artist who chose Gran Sasso as his home

Provincia Cosmica. Intervista a Giuseppe Stampone, l’artista che ha scelto il Gran Sasso come casa

Italian contemporary artist Giuseppe Stampone, born in Cluses in 1974, has returned to his native Abruzzo after years living in New York, Rome, and Brussels. Following the loss of his parents, he established his studio in the province of Teramo, where he is restoring a farmhouse under the Gran Sasso mountain to house the Archivio Giuseppe Stampone-Maria Crispal and an artist residency called Abruzzo Mon Amour. Stampone won the PAC2021 prize for his project "La natura delle cose," which explores his bond with the region and will create an archive dedicated to the flora and fauna of the Monti della Laga, Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, and Gran Sasso areas.

L’arte italiana del Dopoguerra va in asta da Sotheby’s a Milano: tutti i nomi più attesi

Sotheby's will hold a live auction of Modern and Contemporary Art at Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan on May 27, 2026, featuring major Italian post-war artists. Highlights include works by Lucio Fontana, Giorgio Morandi, Carla Accardi, Alighiero Boetti, Emilio Vedova, Salvo, Piero Dorazio, and Tancredi, many appearing at auction for the first time. Key lots include Fontana's "Concetto Spaziale, Attese" (1965-66, estimate €700,000-1,000,000) and a Yves Klein monochrome from 1959.

A Roma una mostra celebra il leggendario scenografo e costumista Dante Ferretti

A new exhibition titled "Dante Ferretti. Con i miei occhi" has opened at the Musei di San Salvatore in Lauro in Rome, celebrating the legendary Italian set designer and costume designer Dante Ferretti. Curated by Raffaele Curi, the show runs until July 19, 2026, and features a collection of Ferretti's sketches, charcoal drawings, and collages that served as the foundational visual ideas for films by directors including Pier Paolo Pasolini, Martin Scorsese, Federico Fellini, and Tim Burton. The exhibition presents these preparatory works not merely as production tools but as autonomous works of art, tracing Ferretti's visual genealogy from Renaissance painters like Piero della Francesca and Caravaggio to contemporary cinema.

Ville Aperte in Brianza. Tornano i weekend di visita nel patrimonio lombardo tra storia e verde

The 24th edition of Ville Aperte in Brianza returns in 2026 with the theme "Storie che restano" (Stories That Remain), highlighting the ability of Lombardy's historic villas and gardens to preserve centuries of memories. The spring edition runs from May 9–17, and the autumn edition from September 19–October 4, featuring 48 cultural sites across 35 municipalities in the provinces of Monza and Brianza, Milan, Lecco, and Como. The symbol of this year is Villa Tittoni (Villa Cusani Traversi Antona Tittoni) in Desio, designed by architect Giuseppe Piermarini and later expanded by Pelagio Palagi. Special programs include guided tours by three associations of licensed guides, children's activities, and a school contest exhibition on the 80th anniversary of the Liberation.

The 2026 Venice Biennale is light and conscious

Quella del 2026 è una Biennale di Venezia leggera e consapevole

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, has opened with a focus on ecology and humanity's relationship with nature. The central pavilion at the Giardini presents a festive, craft-heavy exhibition that emphasizes connections with plants and animals, while the Arsenale offers a more spacious, symphonic experience featuring standout works such as Alfredo Jaar's "End of the World" (2023-2024) and Kader Attia's "Whisper of Traces" (2026). National pavilions, including those of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain, explore themes of the body, memory, and ruin with notable installations.

In a Rome exhibition, an artist draws his own atlas: the body becomes world

In una mostra a Roma un artista disegna un proprio atlante: il corpo diventa mondo

Luca di Luzio's exhibition "Atlas ego imago mundi" at Palazzo Mattei in Rome, hosted by the Italian Geographical Society, presents a personal geography where the artist's body becomes landscape and world. Curated by Anna Cestelli Guidi, the show features around 40 maps, three large canvases, and a handmade book created between 2015 and 2023. Di Luzio uses his body as a palette, pressing skin directly onto paper or canvas to generate imaginary territories that merge sensory experience with artistic expression, referencing Merleau-Ponty's philosophy and Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.

Un ciclo di mostre è allestito sotto terra in un ipogeo del quartiere Pigneto a Roma

A family of entrepreneurs acquired an ancient bar in Rome's Pigneto neighborhood in 2020, inheriting a Roman-era hypogeum dating back to the 1st century BC. Originally a pozzolana quarry, later a wine cellar and WWII air-raid shelter, the space beneath the historic bar Necci dal 1924 reopened to the public on March 12 as an exhibition venue. It now hosts "Sottoforma," a cycle of three exhibitions curated by Donatella Giordano and Agatha Jaubourg that explore the theme of the invisible through contemporary art. The first exhibition features works by Eva Marisaldi, Enrico Serotti, and Luca Vitone, running until March 31, followed by shows with Iginio De Luca and Liliana Moro in April, and José Angelino and Elena Bellantoni in May 2026.

Actress Alba Clemente Tells Her Story in the Theater and Reveals What Lies Behind Her Partenope, a Smoking Siren

L’attrice Alba Clemente si racconta a teatro e svela cosa si nasconde dietro la sua Partenope, sirena fumatrice

Actress Alba Clemente (née Primiceri) recounts her life and career in a theatrical performance titled "Racconto di una vita, anzi tre: ALBAINCLEMENTE," directed by Guido Torlonia. The show, adapted from an earlier piece created with director Andrew Ondrejcak, premiered in Naples and is set to tour Rome and Milan. Clemente reflects on her rebellious youth in Amalfi, her studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples, and her encounters with artists such as Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Alex Katz, and Robert Mapplethorpe. She also describes meeting her husband, internationally renowned painter Francesco Clemente, in Rome on the day Pier Paolo Pasolini was assassinated.

Fellow Painters and Also Friends. Zandomeneghi and Degas Are on Show in Rovigo

Colleghi pittori e anche amici. Zandomeneghi e Degas sono in mostra a Rovigo

Palazzo Roverella in Rovigo is hosting the exhibition "Zandomeneghi e Degas. Impressionismo tra Firenze e Parigi," curated by Francesca Dini. The show brings together works by Italian 19th-century painter Federico Zandomeneghi and French Impressionist Edgar Degas, featuring about fifteen paintings and sculptures by Degas alongside works by Zandomeneghi. It explores their friendship, mutual artistic influence, and shared commitment to realism, tracing their connections from Florence's Caffè Michelangiolo to Paris, where their paths fully converged. Themes such as dance and the nude are highlighted, with works like Degas's "Classe de ballet" (1888) and Zandomeneghi's "Visita in camerino" and "Donna che si asciuga" on view.

Art world news selected by Artbox on Sky Arte

Le novità del mondo dell’arte selezionate da Artbox su Sky Arte

The new episode of Artbox, a weekly program on Sky Arte airing April 28, surveys current exhibitions across Italy. It features Isaac Julien's show "Museum Dreams" at gres art 671 in Bergamo, running until October 4, where the British artist presents five multi-screen video installations from the late 1990s to today. The episode also covers the exhibition "Etruschi e Veneti. Acque, culti e santuari" at Palazzo Ducale in Venice, exploring water cults through ancient artifacts including recent finds from San Casciano dei Bagni; the show "Giovanni Antonio Bazzi detto il Sodoma. Alla conquista del Rinascimento" at Museo Accorsi-Ometto in Turin; and a profile of Spanish artist Almudena Romero, who uses photosynthesis to create images on leaves. Regular segments include a feature on Symbolism by Maria Vittoria Baravelli and an arts news roundup.

Una delle opere più importante esposte alla Galleria Nazionale di Roma sta ammuffendo

An article by Laura Carlotta Cortoni on Artribune reports that Pino Pascali's iconic 1967 work "32 mq di mare circa" ("32 square meters of sea approximately"), on display at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAMC) in Rome, is covered in mold, dust, and insects due to a total lack of maintenance. The author describes the installation as resembling a neglected warehouse and notes that visitors unfamiliar with the piece mistake the decay for an intentional environmental statement, creating a critical paradox given Pascali's own series of works titled "Muffe" (Molds).

Korean modern masters lead K Auction’s May sale

K Auction will hold its May sale on May 27 at its headquarters in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, offering 83 works by Korean modern and contemporary masters with a combined estimated value of around 10.4 billion won. Highlights include Suh Do-ho's large-scale installation "Cause & Effect" (estimated 280 million to 600 million won), Kim Whan-ki's untitled 1969 painting from his New York period (estimated 780 million to 1.5 billion won), and Yoo Young-kuk's abstract landscape "Mountain" from 1988 (estimated 400 million to 800 million won). The sale also features works by Dansaekhwa artists Yun Hyong-keun, Park Seo-bo, and Lee Ufan, alongside contemporary artists Angel Otero, Anna Park, and Woo Kuk-won.

Deux sculptures de la Roldana préemptées par l'Espagne

Spain has preempted two polychrome terracotta sculptures by Luisa Roldán, known as La Roldana, at an Abalarte auction on December 5, 2025. The works, *La Fuite en Égypte* and *L’Éducation de la Vierge*, each sold for €335,500 including fees. *La Fuite en Égypte* has been acquired by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, while *L’Éducation de la Vierge* has gone to the Museo Nacional de Escultura in Valladolid.

Hubert Robert & Fragonard. Le sentiment de la nature

The Musée d'art et d'archéologie in Valence, France, is presenting an exhibition titled "Hubert Robert & Fragonard. Le sentiment de la nature" from March 7 to June 21, 2026. The show traces the artistic friendship between Hubert Robert and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, who met as young French artists sketching in the ruins of Rome under the guidance of Charles-Joseph Natoire. It features works from the museum's renowned collection of sanguine drawings, notably those from the foundational bequest of Julien Victor Veyrenc (1835-1836), and includes new attributions proposed by curator Sarah Catala, a graduate conservator from the Institut National du Patrimoine.

What Biennials Reveal About the Art World

Ben Davis and Jo Lawson-Tancred of Artnet News have published complementary projects analyzing global art biennials. Davis compiled data from major biennials including Istanbul, Gwangju, São Paulo, Sharjah, and Venice over the past four years, tracking which artists have been shown most frequently worldwide since the 2022 Venice Biennale. Lawson-Tancred examined the upcoming Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, comparing the demographics of its artists to previous editions to trace shifts in the global art conversation.

U.S. Returns Hundreds of Looted Antiquities to Italy

U.S. officials formally returned 337 looted antiquities, archival materials, and artworks to Italy during a ceremony at Rome’s La Marmora barracks. The objects, spanning from the Villanovan era (900–700 B.C.E.) through the Hellenistic period (323–31 B.C.E.), include Etruscan, Greek, Italic, and Egyptian artifacts. The repatriation was coordinated by Italy’s Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. Key items include a marble head of Alexander the Great, a bronze sculpture from Herculaneum, and Egyptian basalt sculptures. Some 221 objects were recovered via the Manhattan DA, while the remaining 116 were secured with help from Christie’s.

Endre Koronczi on Representing Hungary at the 61st Venice Biennale

Endre Koronczi, the artist representing Hungary at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026), discusses his upcoming exhibition in the Giardini pavilion. His project, titled "Pneuma Cosmic," explores the movement of air as both a physical and metaphysical phenomenon, drawing on decades of research into invisible forces like wind and breath. The exhibition also references his long-term experimental zone, Ploubuter Park, inspired by drifting plastic bags. Koronczi notes a strong resonance with the Biennale's curatorial theme, "In Minor Keys" by Koyo Kouoh, describing it as a "cosmic zeitgeist."

La Rocabella : une résidence d’artistes paradisiaque qui croise les disciplines près de Toulon

La Rocabella, a Belle Époque villa near Toulon, France, has been transformed into an interdisciplinary artist residency by Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, co-founder of Criteo. Built in 1898 by architect Hans-Georg Tersling, the estate now hosts ceramic sculptors, comic artists, documentary filmmakers, and musicians in two-month sessions, with themes like 'Les Gardiennes de la mer' linking their work. The residency, funded entirely by Rudelle, aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration in a serene Mediterranean setting.

US Returns 337 Looted Objects to Italy in Repatriation Effort

The United States officially returned 337 looted antiquities to Italy at a ceremony held at La Marmora barracks in Rome. Of these, 221 objects were repatriated through the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, while the remaining 116 were recovered on April 10, 2026, via joint efforts by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the District Attorney’s Office, and Christie’s New York auction house. The objects span from the Villanovan era (900–700 BCE) to the Hellenistic period (323–31 BCE) and include a 1st-century CE marble head of Alexander the Great, a bronze sculpture from Herculaneum, and two Egyptian basalt sculptures.

Art House Productions Unveils "In The Wind" Public Art Installation

Art House Productions has unveiled "In The Wind," a large-scale public art installation in Lincoln Park, Jersey City, featuring artist-designed flags with original works by Hudson County artists. Curated by Tina Maneca, the exhibition celebrates the organization's 25th anniversary and includes over 80 artists who live, work, or maintain studios in Hudson County. The flags are installed around Edgewood Lake, moving with the wind to create a dynamic, ever-changing exhibition. All flags are priced at $500 and available for purchase. The installation runs from June through November 2026, with an opening reception on June 5, 2026, during ACCESS JC Fridays.

Egyptian exhibition will bring a 'staggering' amount of gold to Fort Worth’s Kimbell

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, will host "Treasures of the Pharaohs," an exhibition of 130 ancient Egyptian artifacts including granite statues, gold jewelry, funerary masks, and sarcophagi, opening in March 2027. The show features Queen Ahhotep’s golden sarcophagus and recently unearthed objects from a worker’s community in the Valley of the Kings, on loan from the Luxor Museum and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is currently on view in Rome and will travel to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco before arriving in Fort Worth as its second and final North American stop.

Gulistan at GNAMC of Rome

Chinese artist Gulistan, based in Beijing, presents her solo exhibition "Time Garden" at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GNAMC) in Rome. Curated by Gabriele Simongini and supported by the Foundation for Chinese Art in Italy and the International Federation of Women Artists 923 Art Space, the show explores a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics through painting, drawing on the legacy of the Silk Road. The exhibition features series such as "Fragments of Time," "The Nature of Memory," and "Memory of the Portraits," blending Chinese ink traditions with classical Western portraiture and archaeological motifs.

In Rome, the extension of the Galleria Borghese provokes a revolt

À Rome, l’extension de la Galerie Borghèse provoque une fronde

The Galleria Borghese in Rome has sparked controversy by initiating a feasibility study for a new building attached to its 17th-century villa. Museum director Francesca Cappelletti, in office since 2020, cites the need to increase visitor capacity, improve security, and create spaces for mediation, conferences, and temporary exhibitions. The museum, which saw nearly 630,000 visitors in 2025, operates with strict two-hour time slots capped at 180 people, often sold out in high season. Engineering firm Proger has offered to fund the study for €875,750 in exchange for institutional visibility, and Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri has declared the project of public interest.

Ruggero Baragliu brings the painting of "how much is enough" to Rome

From May 30 to June 30, 2026, Blocco 13 in Rome hosts "Qb," the first Roman solo exhibition of Sardinian artist Ruggero Baragliu (born 1987). Curated by Antonello Cuccu and Chiara Manca, the show presents oils, papers, and bas-reliefs that explore the boundary between painting and sculpture through an essential, layered language. Works include small-format oils on panel such as "Colossus" (2026), the multi-year "Untitled with Checkers" (2019–2024), and the bas-relief "Garbata," which transforms brushstroke into volume. The exhibition is part of Blocco 13's "Guests" section, which has previously hosted artists like Pierluigi Fresia and Alessandro Finocchiaro.

Calling Back 11 Forgotten Women Artists: Leeum’s "Inside Other Spaces"

Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul is presenting "Inside Other Spaces: Environments by Women Artists, 1956–1976," an exhibition that reconstructs immersive environmental artworks by 11 pioneering women artists. Originally curated in 2023 at Haus der Kunst Munich and later shown at MAXXI in Rome and M+ in Hong Kong, the show features restored pieces including Judy Chicago's "Feather Room" (filled with 136 kg of white goose feathers), Jung Kangja's "Muchejeon" (restored after 56 years), Lygia Clark's "House Is Body: Penetration, Ovulation, Germination, Expulsion," and Marian Zazila, La Monte Young, and Jung Hee Choi's "Dream House: Environment of Sound and Light" (shown in Asia for the first time).

Animated Bodies

Animierte Körper

Latefa Wiersch presents her exhibition "Atlas Studios" at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, featuring unsettling, puppet-like sculptures that resemble film sets. The works explore themes of bodily helplessness, imperfection, and geopolitical displacement, drawing on her earlier project "Hannibal" at the Dortmunder Kunstverein, which addressed post-migrant German realities and the demolition of a housing complex. The new installation references the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, and the history of cinema, with figures made from rags and nylon stockings that appear as actors or set workers.