Cosa sarà, ArteFiera 2026 launching tomorrow in Bologna
Arte Fiera returns to the Bologna Fiera district for its 49th edition from February 6th-8th 2026 (preview on 5 February). This year’s Fair launches a brand new curatorial cycle with its newly-appointed Artistic Director Davide Ferri (previously curator of five editions of Pittura XXI, the section devoted entirely to painting) in collaboration with Enea Righi, who will be Managing Director for the fourth year in a row.
Arte Fiera is the longest-running Italian art fair, representing a sound reference point for the Italian art system, and having played a fundamental role in the development of the art market since its first edition in 1974. The concept and layout transformations that the Fair has gone through over the last few years – including a renewed team of curators, a new project for the hall displaying modern works and a different structure for the curated sections – have reaffirmed and enhanced the Fair’s identity, celebrating Italian art in all of its many and multifaceted forms and aspects.
This edition’s title, Cosa sarà (What it will be), refers to the energy invested into the future, which implies a high level of unexpectedness and uncertainty; this concept strongly relates to the enigmatic aspect that keeps collectors and art lovers so intensely bound to contemporary art. The exhibitors of this year’s edition -174 galleries, 12 exhibitors in the publishing section as well as 15 featuring institutions – will be showcasing throughout the Main Section, that ranges from modern and post-war art to contemporary research, along with five curated, invitation-only sections.
I’m looking forward to attending the preview tomorrow, meanwhile here you are a few details on the special sections, including some new important additions.
Ventesimo+ is the new project for the modern art hall, featuring galleries that focus on post-war art. Presenting Italian and international art from the early 20th century to today, it is curated by Alberto Salvadori, critic and curator, director and founder of Fondazione ICA in Milan. “Ventesimo+” focuses on the act of collecting and explores possible modes and interpretations marked by eclecticism and cross-cutting practices, reviewing the growth of every collection as a specific, unique, identifying phenomenon.
Fotografia e dintorni, the new name of the section devoted to photography, is curated by Marta Papini, an independent curator who since 2004 has curated Radis, the public art project promoted by Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT. The section presents photography from a wide perspective, including both post-war masters and young talents and investigating formal research and conceptual approach, as well as dialog with other media.
Multipli – curated for the first time by Lorenzo Gigotti, editor, co-founder and head of content of NERO – presents a wide range of media and formats (lithographs, artist books, design pieces, graphics, photographs, as well as audio books and new media). It addresses the emerging practice of adopting methods to increase reproducibility and accessibility with the aim of creating more open and inclusive market structures, capable to attract new collectors.
Pittura XXI – curated for the first time by Ilaria Gianni, critic, curator, and co-artistic director of the IUNO independent space in Rome – reinterprets painting as a contemporary medium in a period in which it is back on the spotlight of the art scene. The section includes works by artists of different generations, ranging from emerging to midcareer, Italian and international, from 2000 to today.
Prospettiva, now in its second year, is again curated by Michele D’Aurizio, critic and independent curator. The section is dedicated to the creative research of young artists and presents monographic presentations by emerging galleries (with less than ten years of activity) and by established galleries focusing on research-oriented program.
ARTE FIERA 49 – COSA SARÀ
6-8 February 2026
Preview 5 February 2026
