Contemporary art returns to center stage in Ascoli Piceno for the fifth edition of the Premio Sparti

The fifth edition of the Premio Sparti, titled "Dove finisce la città" (Where the City Ends), will open on May 23 at the Forte Malatesta in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, running through June 28. Curated by Alex Urso, the exhibition features over twenty international artists exploring artistic practice outside major urban centers, with works also installed at the Frida Museum. The show is divided into three sections—"Essere oltre," "Essere qui," and "Essere altro"—highlighting artists who have chosen peripheral, rural, or marginalized locations as bases for their research, including Francesco Arena, Davide Maria Coltro, Andrea Mastrovito, and emerging talents under 35.

This edition matters because it challenges the dominant art-world narrative that equates relevance with metropolitan centers, instead celebrating the creative potential of Italy's vast network of small towns and remote areas. By framing marginality as a productive condition rather than a limitation, the Premio Sparti offers a timely counterpoint to post-pandemic rhetoric about "returning to the villages" and raises critical questions about where meaningful contemporary art can be made and seen. The inclusion of a dedicated under-35 section co-curated with Caterina Angelucci further underscores the prize's commitment to nurturing new generations of artists working outside conventional hubs.