A Guide to Art Shows Mixing Masterpieces and Avant-Garde Artworks
Italy’s vibrant art scene offers an exceptional array of exhibitions in June 2025, from groundbreaking photography retrospectives to innovative installations by contemporary artists.
Wangechi Mutu – Poems of the Black Earth
📍 Galleria Borghese, Rome | June 10 – September 14
For the first time, Galleria Borghese hosts a solo exhibition of Kenyan-American contemporary artist Wangechi Mutu. Curated by Cloé Perrone, this site-specific project merges sculpture, poetry, and mythology, creating a bold dialogue between classic heritage and contemporary language. Expect fragmented forms and reimagined narratives both inside the museum and in the Secret Gardens.
Alfred Eisenstaedt – CAMERA, Turin
📍 June 13 – September 21
A major tribute to photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, best known for his iconic “V-J Day in Times Square” image. This unprecedented Italian retrospective features 150 photographs, some never before exhibited. Through his lens, Eisenstaedt captured the essence of 20th-century life, from Nazi Germany to postwar Japan. An essential stop for lovers of photography and visual storytelling.
© Alfred Eisenstaedt_The LIFE Picture Collection Alfred Eisenstaedt,
George Balanchine’s School American Ballet. New York, USA, 1936
Florence and Europe: 18th-Century Arts at the Uffizi
📍 Uffizi Gallery, Florence | Until November 28
This grand exhibition highlights 150 artworks from Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, with pieces by Goya, Canaletto, Tiepolo, and more. It explores how the Uffizi evolved from royal collection to modern museum, showcasing art’s role in shaping aesthetic and intellectual currents of the 18th century.
Florence and Europe. 18th-Century Arts at the Uffizi.
Exhibition View
Festival des Cabanes – Villa Medici, Rome
📍 June 5 – September 29
In its fourth edition, this experimental architecture event transforms Villa Medici’s Renaissance gardens with five temporary “cabins” by international architects. The works explore themes of habitation, sustainability, and the intersection between art and nature—offering a unique fusion of environmental design and artistic vision.
Elliott Erwitt – Royal Palace, Palermo
📍 May 28 – October 27
Sicily’s largest retrospective on photography master Elliott Erwitt includes over 150 poetic, ironic, and deeply human images. Curated by Biba Giacchetti and Gabriele Accornero, the exhibition charts Erwitt’s prolific career and his unrivaled ability to capture fleeting emotional moments through candid artworks.
USA, Santa Monica, California, 1955 © Elliott Erwitt
Think Like a Mountain #4 – GAMeC, Bergamo
📍 From June 7
The fourth chapter of the Biennale of the Orobie Mountains presents installations by Maurizio Cattelan, Cecilia Bengolea, Julius von Bismarck, and others. These contemporary artists explore themes of nature, memory, and cultural transformation through immersive artworks in both urban and alpine settings.
Maurizio Cattelan, Seasons
Orizzonti | Rosso – PM23, Rome
📍 Until June 10
The Valentino Foundation’s inaugural exhibition in the newly opened PM23 space features 30 contemporary artworks paired with 50 haute couture red creations by Valentino Garavani. Curated by Anna Coliva and Pamela Golbin, the show merges fashion and fine art in an emotionally charged, immersive experience.
PM23, Roma, 2025, Horizons Red, Photo Credit Whatever Milan
Carlo Scarpa and the Arts – Gypsotheca Canova, Possagno
📍 June 22 – January 11, 2026
This show delves into architect Carlo Scarpa’s relationship with the Venice Biennale. Featuring works by artists like Giacometti and Klimt, plus Scarpa’s original glass designs, it celebrates the intersection of architecture and visual art in 20th-century Italy.
Carlo Scarpa e Luciano Gemin ad Asolo
Strand–Zavattini: Photography as a Bridge – Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome
📍 June 6 – July 20 & September 9 – 28
Commemorating 70 years since the publication of Un Paese, this exhibition features 50 rare black-and-white photographs by Paul Strand and Cesare Zavattini. It presents a visual sociology of postwar Italy and emphasizes photography as a cultural connector.
Paul Strand (New York 1890 – Orgeval 1976)
Luzzara (giorno di mercato), 1953
stampa B/N alla gelatina bromuro d’argento da negativo 35 mm
inv. ICGFP 8199
Alessandra Ferrini – I Saw a Dark Cloud Rise
📍 Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin | From June 12
This solo show by Italian contemporary artist Alessandra Ferrini investigates colonial memory and Italian nationalism through a new three-channel video installation. It’s an insightful dive into how art, history, and politics converge.
Alessandra Ferrini, I Saw a Dark Cloud Rise,
Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
Transparent Architectures – Villa Manin, Codroipo (UD)
📍 June 8 – October 26
A playful and immersive journey into contemporary art, exploring themes of borders and perception. Featuring installations by Robert Irwin, Dan Graham, and others, the show uses sound, space, and light to challenge how we engage with artworks.
Robert Irwin Multiple Configurations #1 2018 Acrilico 9′11″×8′5″×32″ Courtesy of the Estate of Robert Irwin, Pace Gallery and Sprüth Magers
Van Eyck and the Revealed Miniatures – Palazzo Madama, Turin
📍 May 23 – September 29
A delicate treasure trove of Gothic and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, rarely seen by the public. This show offers deep insight into the artistic techniques and symbolic richness of medieval book art.
True Colors: Fabrics, Movement, Identity – MAXXI L’Aquila
📍 June 7 – November 16
Exploring textiles as a language of identity and resistance, this exhibition brings together immersive, process-driven artworks by contemporary artists rooted in both tradition and innovation.
True Colors. Tessuti: movimento, colori e identità – MAXXI L’Aquila
Jean-Michel Jarre – Promptitude
📍 MEET Digital Culture Center, Milan | June 4 – September 7
In his first solo Italian show, electronic music icon Jean-Michel Jarre uses AI to create a bold new universe of digital artworks. Divided into three sections, the exhibition reflects on how technology transforms artistic identity and expression.
Jean-Michel Jarre, When Innocence meets connexion
Haley Mellin – The Leopoldine Garden
📍 Museo Novecento, Florence | From June 24
American artist and activist Haley Mellin transforms a Renaissance cloister into an ecological art sanctuary. This living artwork reflects on the role of museums in addressing environmental challenges through regenerative, nature-based interventions.
Giardino delle Leopoldine, Museo Novecento Firenze,
Ph. Camilla Fatticcioni
Mario Merz Prize – 5th Edition
📍 Fondazione Merz, Turin | June 11 – September 21
A group exhibition spotlighting five finalists from around the globe, each exploring urgent themes like identity, protest, and power through installations, videos, and contemporary artworks that challenge traditional narratives.
Petrit Halilaj Shkrëpetima, 2018 – Photo Renato Ghiazza
Antonello Viola – The Gold of the Lagoon
📍 Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art, Venice | June 20 – September 28
Celebrated for his use of gold leaf and layering, Antonello Viola presents a poetic homage to Venice and its reflections—blending abstraction and light in a subtle yet powerful series of artworks that embody spiritual stillness.
Isola d’Elba – Oro su blu reale chiaro e indaco 2024 Olio,
matita e foglia d’oro su vetro 80 x 170 cm / 3 El.
Whether you’re passionate about photography, fascinated by historic artworks, or seeking fresh perspectives from contemporary artists, Italy in June 2025 is bursting with inspiration. Don’t miss these immersive experiences that redefine the way we see and feel art.
