From February 6 to 8, 2026, with a reserved preview on February 5, Arte Fiera reopens its doors in Bologna for edition number 49. The longest-running event in Italian art will present itself with a renewed face and an artistic direction entrusted, for the first time, to Davide Ferri, already curator for five editions of the Pittura XXI section, who takes over from Simone Menegoi. Alongside him, confirmed for the fourth consecutive year, Enea Righi in the role of operations director. With this new leadership, Arte Fiera inaugurates a cycle that aims to strengthen its ties with the national art system, reaffirming its historical identity and relaunching it in a contemporary key.
The 2026 edition thus promises to be a moment of revitalization and consolidation. The chosen title, “What Will Be,” alludes to a planning vision that looks ahead, evoking future, transformation and the unpredictability that often accompanies the path of contemporary art. The fair continues to offer a lively dialogue between past and present, articulated in the two traditional pavilions: pavilion 26, dedicated to the historical twentieth century, and pavilion 25, which hosts contemporary research and the works of the latest generations.
The new course is also announced through the visual identity redesigned by Al mare. Studio, which reinterpreted the iconic Arte Fiera stamp by transforming it into a mobile sign, evocative of a rising sun rising from a horizon line. A stylistic choice that embodies the idea of rebirth and movement, with references to pop language and at the same time to an essential and refined aesthetic.
Alongside the Main Section, traditionally divided between historicized and contemporary art, Arte Fiera 2026 offers five curated sections, each entrusted to new professionals with a distinctive vision. The sections reflect a plurality of languages and approaches, aiming to offer a broad and in-depth panorama of Italian and international art from the 20th century to the present. There are also some new features.
Debuting is “Ventesimo+,” the new project for the Modern Pavilion, curated by Alberto Salvadori, director and founder of the ICA Foundation in Milan. Designed for galleries dealing with twentieth-century art, this section focuses on the practice of collecting, exploring the different ways of building a collection and its identity value. It embraces eclecticism and transversality, including Italian and international art.
Also renewed is the section dedicated to photography, which now takes the name “Photography and Surroundings.” Curated by Marta Papini, the section moves along a fluid boundary, welcoming both historicized authors and young emerging artists, with a focus on contaminations between photography, other media and conceptual practices. Papini, currently at the helm of Radis, Fondazione CRT’s public art project, brings an open, contemporary approach to the fair.
At the “Multiples” section, however, Lorenzo Gigotti, editor and co-founder of the publishing house NERO, makes his debut as curator. His project explores the field of editions, artist’s books, design, graphics, audio editions and new media. A narrative of the art scene moving toward reproducibility and accessibility, highlighting alternative and more inclusive ways to market.
“Pittura XXI,” the section dedicated to contemporary painting, changes curator: for the 2026 edition it is entrusted to Ilaria Gianni, critic and curator, co-director of the independent space IUNO in Rome. The section offers an updated reading of painting as a language of the present, selecting Italian and international artists who have redefined the medium since 2000 with emblematic and transversal research.
Closing the program of curated sections is “Perspective,” now in its second edition and again curated by Michele D’Aurizio. The space is dedicated to emerging galleries with less than ten years of activity and more structured galleries but with research programs. The formula includes monographic presentations that enhance the work of new artistic generations.
Confirming its desire to broaden its curatorial vision and strengthen its selection criteria, Arte Fiera has renewed its committee, which has increased from five to seven members. The three existing members - Federica Schiavo (Rome), Fabrizio Padovani (Bologna) and Carlo Repetto (Lugano) - are joined by Benedetta Spalletti (Milan and Pescara), Gian Marco Casini (Livorno), Davide Mazzoleni (Turin and London) and Enzo Savoia (Milan). A composition that aims to better represent the different souls of the art market and to reflect the fair’s lines of research.
The collaboration between Arte Fiera and Fondazione Furla continues for 2026, with a performance program curated by Bruna Roccasalva, the foundation’s artistic director. Now in its fourth edition, the project confirms the centrality of performance in the history of the fair, enhancing it as a distinctive language and expressive medium of great impact.
BPER Bank, already a Main Partner in 2025, renews its commitment as a supporter of the event. The bank thus reaffirms its interest in art, culture and creativity, considered essential tools for development and social inclusion.
It also continues its collaboration with ANGAMC, the National Association of Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries, with which a permanent discussion table has been established. An alliance that underscores the common commitment to defining strategies and policies to support the Italian art system.
Arte Fiera is also strengthening its presence on digital channels, enriching its content offerings through video formats designed to enhance the link with the territory and offer a privileged look at the event.
LET’S WALK is the new editorial proposal that narrates Bologna through walks led by personalities linked to the city by birth, affinity or experience. Each episode explores symbolic or hidden places, rich in history and meaning, allowing the urban fabric to be rediscovered in a close dialogue between memory, art and collective identity. LET’S TALK, already well-established in previous years, instead offers an in-depth look at what’s new for the 2026 edition, giving voice to the fair’s protagonists.
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| Arte Fiera gets a makeover: here's what the Bologna fair will look like in 2026 |
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