The exhibitions to see in December in Italy

"Art is not what the artist sees, but what others see through him" said Marcel Duchamp. For this reason, to understand something about the world and ourselves we should choose a museum, an exhibition, or a work of art and take the time to look. This December, across Italy, there are many opportunities to experience emotions and visions: from the Gothic works of William Blake in Turin to the three-dimensional creations of Jean-Luc Moulène on display in Naples. The MAXXI in Rome explores how fashion interprets the present, while Triennale Milano pays tribute to the uniqueness and genius of Elio Fiorucci. Lovers of color will be enchanted by Berthe Morisot's works at GAM in Turin, as well as Timm Blandin's exhibition in Bologna and the visual power of Emilio Vedova, which fills the walls of Forte di Bard in Aosta. Photography enthusiasts? They should plan a trip to Riccione to lose and find themselves in the shots of Jacques Henri Lartigue and André Kertész. Have you already decided on an exhibition to visit? nss G-Club suggests 10 you won’t want to miss.

Elio Fiorucci - Milan

Triennale Milano dedicates an exhibition to Elio Fiorucci, showcasing 500 works, documents, and objects that explore his vibrant, colorful world, blending personal, entrepreneurial, and cultural narratives. The exhibition unfolds across eight sections, curated by Judith Clark and designed by Fabio Cherstich. Visitors will find installations, posters, products, clothing, videos, and the voice of the "Duchamp of Italian fashion" revealing the complexity of Fiorucci’s vision. From iconic "safety jeans" to heart-print T-shirts, transparent raincoats, and golden cowboy boots, the exhibit illustrates his impact on fashion history and his eclectic stores—a technicolor pop paradise merging fashion, art, design, music, pop culture, and street style.

Title: Elio Fiorucci

When: Until March 16, 2025

Where: Triennale Milano, Milan

Memorabile. Ipermoda - Rome

"Memorable is the emotion evoked by those artifacts that constitute the architecture closest to our bodies. Memorable is the dialogue between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary, the constant reactivation of fashion and its representations." With these words, Maria Luisa Frisa, curator of the project, introduces the new exhibition at MAXXI. To expand on Frisa's statement, "Memorabile. Ipermoda explores the present and the role of fashion between 2015 and today within the global creative and economic framework, in design practices, in the use of increasingly sophisticated technologies, and its key players and supporting cast." Garments, accessories, archival materials, and videos interact with each other and the world, weaving and reflecting our reality. This is an opportunity to admire numerous creations, from the couture of Christian Dior designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri to the new generation of designers represented by ACT N°1 and Marco Rambaldi. Among the standout pieces on display are the heart-shaped fur coat Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, Viktor & Rolf's upside-down dresses, the Anthurium series from Loewe's SS23 collection, the floral collage of Marni's SS24 collection, Ikea's Frakta bag reimagined by Virgil Abloh, and Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry's surrealist long dress with jewel-like lungs , famously worn by Bella Hadid at Cannes.

Title: Memorabile: Ipermoda

When: Until March 23, 2025

Dove: MAXXI, Rome

Berthe Morisot - Turin

In this international year dedicated to Impressionism, the GAM - Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Turin celebrates the history and artistic journey of Berthe Morisot, the only woman among the founders of the Impressionist movement. Sister-in-law, friend, and muse of Édouard Manet, she dedicated her life to painting, standing out for her graceful style, characterized by long and rapid brushstrokes and luminous use of color. Until March 9, 2025, visitors can admire drawings, prints, and iconic paintings such as Pasie Sewing in the Garden and On a Bench at Bois de Boulogne, sourced from prestigious public institutions, including the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The selection of about 50 works is divided into thematic paths reflecting her main subjects: family life, female portraits, landscapes and gardens, and figures in nature. The exhibition also includes a display by Italian artist Stefano Arienti.

Title: Berthe Morisot. Impressionist Painter

When: Until March 9, 2025

Where: GAM, Turin

Jacques Henri Lartigue and André Kertész - Riccione

Henri Lartigue and André Kertész captured the intensity and poetry of everyday life in their unique ways. Both born in 1894, self-taught, and independent spirits, they marked the 20th century with their photography. Lartigue, from a wealthy French family, expressed himself through photography, painting, and writing, portraying joy with carefree and vibrant snapshots. Of Jewish-Hungarian origin, Kertész immortalized the simplicity of daily life with profound intimacy and lyricism. Lartigue is celebrated as a master of the snapshot, while Kertész is credited as the inventor of photojournalism. Featuring over 100 unseen and iconic photos, the Riccione exhibition delves into recurring themes in their work.

Title: Jacques Henri Lartigue and André Kertész. Masters of Modern Photography

When: Until April 6, 2025

Where: Villa Mussolini, Riccione

Emilio Vedova - Aosta

Painter, engraver, and partisan, curious, rebellious, and free-spirited, Emilio Vedova is renowned for his nervous, powerful gestures and the materiality of his works. The Venetian artist described his process: "Painting is like being homeless, with devils behind you pushing your hand, your arm, your whole body forward. Who knows what finally registers on the canvas: scribbles, lava, sex, impossibility, bars, marks... A shifting, ungraspable territory." The exhibition at the Forte di Bard until June 2, 2025, features 31 large paintings and 22 works on paper, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in Vedova's art.

Title: This is Painting

When: Until June 2, 2025

Where: Forte di Bard, Aosta

Timm Blandin - Bologna

Magma Gallery presents Carved Lights, the first solo exhibition of Timm Blandin in Italy. Drawing from Google Street View snapshots, the French artist transforms everyday scenes of houses and gardens into colorful, dreamlike landscapes and portraits that reveal the charm of the ordinary. His works, acrylics on canvas with vibrant tones and simplified, geometric lines, invite viewers to appreciate the wonders of daily life—the elements we are accustomed to seeing, yet overlook and find dull. Carved Lights showcases works inspired by Google Street View between 2021 and 2024. Curious?

Title: Carved Lights

When: until December 23, 2024

Where: Magma Gallery, Bologna

Elena Salmistraro - Milan

The Antonio Colombo Gallery in Milan presents the first solo exhibition of Elena Salmistraro, taking visitors into a colorful, playful world balanced between dream and nightmare, populated by monsters and freaks that she has been drawing since childhood. "My monsters aren't bad; they accompany me, talk to me, stay close to me… And by drawing them repeatedly, I've also discovered my stylistic signature, my stroke, alphabet, and language," explains Elena. These hybrids of human and animal live freely and slightly unsettlingly, transfigured by Salmistraro’s irresistible aesthetic, evoking neo-primitivism and magical realism. Alchimie Nel Vuoto is an opportunity to admire not only her large canvas paintings but also a rug produced by TaiPing, two totems, and three hand-painted vases created by Bosa Ceramiche, as well as a wooden sculpture crafted by Scapin.

Title: Alchimie Nel Vuoto

When: until February 8, 2025

Where: Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, Milan

Meriem Bennani - Milan

Meriem Bennani presents a new site-specific installation for Fondazione Prada Milan, an immersive experience exploring family and social relationships. As Bennani explains, "One of the central themes of For My Best Family is learning to coexist, questioning where one person begins and another ends. The film focuses on a mother and daughter learning to be together, while the installation takes a more abstract approach, referring to collectivity in a broader sense, with moments of non-verbal connection, where a force seems to take the form of a multi-shaped body." On the ground floor, visitors encounter Sole crushing, a large kinetic installation where 192 flip-flops and sandals strike various materials—wood, metal, and glass—producing diverse sounds. In the background is a musical composition by Cheb Runner. The first floor of the Podium features an art film blending documentary and 3D animation, co-directed with Orian Barki.

Title: For My Best Family

When: until February 24, 2025

Where: Fondazione Prada, Milan

William Blake - Turin

Following exhibitions of works by John Constable and J.M.W. Turner, it's now William Blake's turn. Until February 2, 2025, the halls of the Reggia di Venaria host 112 pieces by the British master, imbued with symbolism and mystical references that highlight his immense talent. A painter, engraver, and poet, William Blake was a central figure in English Romanticism and remains one of the most visionary artists in art history. Visitors can experience every color nuance, iconographic detail, and hidden symbol in Blake's strokes, delving into his obsessions: the gothic, the supernatural, and the spiritual dimension of human existence. Each thematic section of the exhibition illustrates a key aspect of Blake's imagery: Enchantments, Fantastic Creatures, Horror and Danger, The Gothic, A Romantic Look at the Past, Satan, and the Underworld. Blake's most emblematic works are displayed alongside pieces by artists who inspired him, including Henry Fuseli, Benjamin West, and John Hamilton Mortimer.

Title: Blake and His Era - Journeys Through the Dreamtime

When: until February 2, 2025

Where: Reggia di Venaria, Turin

Jean-Luc Moulène - Naples

"I speak of image and object, of photography and product, both transformed. What interests me are the functions of transformation. So, what is an ordinary object? What orders organize, construct, and transform it?" explains Jean-Luc Moulène. His three-dimensional works are crafted from raw components or industrial elements, often reshaped using 3D printing to become something else. Enlightenments, open until December 14, 2024, offers a chance to explore the French artist's re-compositional exercise of the ordinary and the everyday, leaving viewers surprised and moved by the result.

Title: Enlightenments

When: until December 14, 2024

Where: Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples