Mario Schifano | Palazzo Esposizioni Roma
17.03–12.07.2026
Curated by Daniela Lancioni
Exhibition promoted by the Department of Culture of Roma Capitale and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo
Produced and organized by Azienda Speciale Palaexpo in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo and Gallerie d’Italia
Main Partner: Eni
With the support of Fondazione Silvano Toti
Here is your English translation:
The exhibition unfolds through the rotunda and the seven large halls on the main floor of Palazzo Esposizioni. Following the customary biographical introduction—accompanied by author photographs and documents—the works are presented in chronological order, beginning with early pieces and continuing through those of the 1990s. The exhibition reconstructs Schifano’s artistic biography through his major visual innovations: from works focused on experimentation with materials to monochromes; from new iconographies mediated by photographic language and themes drawn from art history to TV landscapes and moving images; from works resulting from the fusion of photography and painting to more recent works marked by explicit social engagement.
Mario Schifano’s preference for producing related works within the same time span is well known; accordingly, the exhibition places side by side works belonging to the same series, and the striking innovations that punctuate his practice are documented at the moment of their first appearance.
Along the exhibition route, visitors witness a vibrant and continuous regeneration of painting through the use of highly diverse techniques, materials, and processes, among which cinema plays a significant role. Schifano’s cinema is the focus of a screening program in the Cinema Hall of Palazzo Esposizioni, allowing visitors free and repeated access throughout the duration of the exhibition.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by Electa, which includes, in addition to the curator’s text, contributions by art historians—many from younger generations—who have recently produced innovative studies on the artist: Manuel Barrese, Fabio Belloni, Stefano Chiodi, Andrea Cortellessa, Giorgio Di Domenico, Flavio Fergonzi, Giorgia Gastaldon, Francesco Guzzetti, Chiara Perin.
The exhibition is also complemented by a rich public program and a wide range of educational initiatives designed for different types of audiences.