Italy's contemporary art market is experiencing a surge in activity, marked by the arrival of international galleries like Thaddaeus Ropac in Milan and Hauser & Wirth's planned opening in Sicily. This coincides with major art events such as Paris Internationale launching in Milan alongside the local Miart fair.
Scoperto un nuovo Antonello da Messina. Andrà in asta a giugno: stavolta potrebbe farsi avanti la Sicilia per l’acquisto?
A newly discovered small wooden panel painting, depicting the face of a young beardless saint, has been attributed to the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina. The work, a fragment of a lost composition, will be auctioned on June 16 by Parisian auction house Ader alongside a signed early work by Peter Paul Rubens. Both come from an anonymous collector who purchased them in France decades ago.
La véritable histoire du vol du Caravage par la mafia sicilienne derrière la série « Le Complot Caravaggio » sur Arte
The article details the infamous 1969 theft of Caravaggio's masterpiece, "Natività con i santi Lorenzo e Francesco d'Assisi" (The Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence), from the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo, Sicily. The painting, a large-scale work measuring three by two meters, was expertly cut from its frame and has never been recovered, remaining second on the FBI's Top Ten Art Crimes list. The theft is widely attributed to the Sicilian Mafia, with theories suggesting it was stolen to order or for use in secret mafia gatherings.
The "From Italy With Love" exhibition recently debuted at Il Gelato di Carlotta’s gallery space in Niagara-on-the-Lake, showcasing works created during immersive painting workshops across Italy. Led by artist and instructor Sandra Iafrate, the collection features oil, acrylic, and mixed-media pieces produced on location in regions including Tuscany, Sicily, and Puglia. The show runs through June 30, with additional works displayed at Iafrate’s local Gate Street Studio.
Ci sono 21 artisti a sostegno del nuovo viaggio della Global Sumud Flotilla salpata dalla Sicilia con vele dipinte
A new humanitarian mission by the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on April 26 from Augusta, Sicily, with 59 Italian and Spanish boats heading toward Gaza. The flotilla, which follows a first attempt in September 2025 that ended with activists arrested by the Israeli military, aims to deliver humanitarian aid by early May. Twenty-one artists have joined the initiative, called Vele d'Arte, painting the sails of the boats with symbolic artworks. Among the participating artists are Gio Pistone, Antonio Curcio, Escif, Lydia Giordano, Glenda Costa, Millo, Elia Novecento, MP5, Matteo Todeschini, Alleg, Sam3, Okuda, Antonella Santonocito, Fabrizio Foti, Igor Scalisi Palmiteri, Andrea Sposari, and Salvo Ligama. The project was conceived by Carlo Alberto Giardina, who hopes the energy painted on the sails will transform into positive forces.