The two events that mark the beginning of art fairs in Italy in 2026 are returning to the Bergamo Fair: Bergamo Arte Fiera (BAF), now in its 21st edition (Jan. 16-18), and Italian Fine Art (IFA), in its ninth edition (Jan. 16-25). The two events, the first dedicated tomodern and contemporary art, the second toancient art and high antiques, will take place simultaneously in the spaces of Pavilions A and B, the foyers and the Central Gallery of the Bergamo Fair, occupying a total of 16,000 square meters. Thanks to the participation of more than two hundred exhibiting entities, the public will be able to follow a path through more than six centuries of art history, from the 15th century to the most current expressions, including paintings, sculptures, photographs and design.
Opening the presentation, which was held Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Sala Colleoni of the via Lunga exhibition center, was Davide Lenarduzzi, chief executive officer of Promoberg Srl, followed by speeches by Alessandra Gallone, deputy adviser to the Minister ofUniversity, Research and Higher Education in the Arts Anna Maria Bernini (linked), and Sergio Gandi, deputy mayor and alderman for Culture, University Relations, Budget, Taxes and Trade of the City of Bergamo. Program insights were given by Carlo Conte, project manager of BAF and IFA. Also speaking were Sergio Radici, collateral events manager; Ettore Favini, deputy director of the Bergamo Polytechnic of the Arts with responsibility for the Academy of Fine Arts; and Claudia Scalise and Saimir Cuko, students of the Bergamo Polytechnic of the Arts, who presented the performance project The Shop of Nothing.
A wide-ranging and articulated calendar of meetings, lectures, exhibitions and events hosted in the talk area set up in the Central Gallery. Scheduled topics include the future of art and the digital, addressed by Sergio Curtacci; the role of artists’ archives, with talks by Marco Farano, Filippo Tibertelli De Pisis, Marilena Pasquali and Alessandra Donati; thecontemporary art with Sergio Mandelli; the relationship between artificial intelligence and art with Raffaele Schiavone; restoration with Loredana Plazzoli; a focus on the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory of Florence with Roberto Messina; and a meeting dedicated to cultural welfare with Maria Teresa Azzola.
Welcoming visitors will be installations by Carlo Ramous, Walter Patscheider and Elvino Motti. The exhibition itinerary also includes Mauro Ceresa’s photographic exhibition Cosmic Explosion Series, spaces dedicated to Francesco Hayez and Giuseppe Milesi, and the project Bernardi, Cantoni, Giussani, Lazzar, Milli, Parasecolo and Modern Inlay, presented by the National Review of Wood Inlayers. The project, conceived by Francesco Lazzar and Federico Martinelli and developed over ten years, recounts the evolution of marquetry from the 20th century to the present, highlighting its full membership in the language of contemporary art.
For the first time, Bergamo Arte Fiera also initiates a collaboration with the Bergamo Polytechnic School of the Arts and the Carrara Academy, which will offer a program of artistic and musical performances curated by artist and lecturer Marcella Vanzo. At the center of the initiative is the project The Shop of Nothing, hosted in Stand Number 0, a performance space inspired by Mondrian and flanked by the Black Box, designed for performances of a more intimate nature. The schedule includes the activation of the Shop by Academy students and an articulated musical program ranging from classical music to jazz to singer-songwriting, spread throughout the duration of the events.
The single ticket allows access to both fairs: full price 15 euros, reduced price 8 euros, free for children under 12, with concessions provided for people with disabilities and accompanying persons. They will be open in the afternoon (2 to 7 p.m.) on weekdays and continuously from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
“With BAF and IFA,” explained Davide Lenarduzzi, “the Bergamo Fair consolidates a cultural project that over the years has grown in quality, authority and capacity for dialogue with the territory, witnessed this year by the collaboration with the Bergamo Polytechnic of the Arts. Two complementary events that tell more than six centuries of art history and make Bergamo a national reference point for operators, collectors and the public.”
“Bergamo Arte Fiera and Italian Fine Art represent a virtuous example of dialogue between eras, languages and knowledge. Six centuries of art history, from ancient to contemporary, coexist in a single space, offering the public and especially young people a complete cultural experience, capable of connecting tradition, research and creativity,” commented Alessandra Gallone. “The active presence of the Bergamo Polytechnic of the Arts and its students testifies to how fundamental it is to invest in art education as a place for growth, experimentation and vision. It is also through appointments like this that the link between education, territory and future is strengthened, enhancing the central role of art as a tool for knowledge, participation and innovation.”
“The opening of 2026 with Bergamo Arte Fiera and Italian Fine Art,” said Sergio Gandi, “represents for the city an appointment of particular importance, capable of clearly restoring the centrality of culture in Bergamo’s development project. These events express a broad and inclusive vision of art, spanning centuries and combining languages, and testify to the strength of a virtuous collaboration between institutions, the trade fair world and the art education system. It is in this network of relationships that culture becomes a shared heritage, an opportunity for civic growth and a tool of attractiveness for the territory.”
“BAF and IFA,” explained Carlo Conte, “are thought of as one big art story, capable of holding together different eras, languages and audiences. The strong growth of applications to BAF, the attention to cultural content and the presence at IFA, confirmed also for this edition, of the commission of experts indicated by FIMA for the vetting procedure to guarantee the authenticity of the works, testify to the solidity of a project that continues to evolve.”
Pictured: Bergamo Arte Fiera, 2025 edition.
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| Bergamo Arte Fiera and Italian Fine Art kick off art fairs in Italy 2026 |
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