Le Alchimiste, the new major exhibition by Anselm Kiefer, one of the most influential contemporary artists, is part of the cultural program of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Curated by art historian Gabriella Belli, the exhibition will be held in the Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale from February 7 to September 27, 2026.

Developed from a project initiated in 2023, the exhibition features over forty large-scale canvases created specifically to engage with the dramatic and powerful character of the space, marked by the 1943 bombing.

At its core is the connection with Milan and the figure of Caterina Sforza, a scientist and military leader who authored a manuscript containing over 400 recipes, including remedies and alchemical formulas. Alongside her, Kiefer brings together a constellation of female figures, both renowned and overlooked, such as Isabella Cortese, Maria the Jewess, Marie Meudrac, Rebecca Vaughan, and Mary Anne Atwood. Through his material and symbolic painting, the artist restores visibility to figures erased from history, recognizing the crucial role of alchemists in the emergence of modern scientific thought.

Since the 1970s, Kiefer has explored the creative and regenerative power of the feminine, here expressed in a kind of pantheon that intertwines myth, memory, and transformation.

The exhibition catalogue is published by Marsilio Arte.

The exhibition is promoted by Comune di Milano – Cultura and produced by Palazzo Reale and Marsilio Arte, with the support of Gagosian and Galleria Lia Rumma, and with the backing of main sponsors Unipol and Banca Ifis.

https://www.palazzorealemilano.it/-/anselm-kiefer.-le-alchimiste