More than thirty years after the last major exhibition dedicated to Alberto Giacometti in Milan, Palazzo Reale once again hosts the Swiss sculptor’s work with the exhibition “Alberto Giacometti and Italy,” scheduled from February 25 to June 20, 2027. Sponsored by the City of Milan – Culture, conceived in collaboration with the Fondation Giacometti in Paris, and produced by Palazzo Reale in partnership with Marsilio Arte, the retrospective is curated by Romain Perrin, head of the Sculpture Collection and exhibition curator at the Fondation Giacometti.
The project focuses on the artistic and personal relationship Giacometti had with the Italian Peninsula, retracing his journey through what is described as his “intimate geography” of Italy. Born in 1901 in Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden, near the border with Lombardy, the artist spoke Italian as his native language. His father, Giovanni, a Neo-Impressionist painter, also provided him with an education rooted in classical culture, helping to make Italy a place of reference and inspiration. His origins, language, and cultural heritage thus accompanied Giacometti throughout his life, leading him to define Italy as his “new homeland” in a letter dated 1920. His numerous trips to the Italian Peninsula, his interest in Italian culture, his personal experiences, and the friendships he forged in the country all helped shape his artistic trajectory.
“Italy occupies a central place in Giacometti’s identity and artistic journey: language, cultural education, travels, relationships, and exhibitions make it a country unto itself. This retrospective offers a new perspective on his sculpture in light of what Italy gave him, both on a personal and creative level,” explains Romain Perrin.
The exhibition brings together over one hundred works—including sculptures, paintings, and drawings —from the Fondation Giacometti, along with previously unpublished archival material. The project also benefits from the scientific consultation of Casimiro Di Crescenzo, an art historian who has been studying Giacometti’s work for years. Alongside well-known works such as *Walking Man*, the exhibition features works particularly linked to his Italian experience, including *Il Naso* (1949) and *Bust of a Man (Chiavenna II) * (1964), conceived in Chiavenna, Lombardy, during the final years of the artist’s life.
The various sections trace key stages in Giacometti’s artistic journey, from his discovery of antiquity during his youthful stays in Florence, Rome, and Naples, to the Cubist-inspired sculptures presented in Paris in 1928 alongside those of Italian artists, up to his participation in the 1962 Venice Biennale, where the artist received the Grand Prize for Sculpture. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog published by Marsilio Arte and edited by Romain Perrin, featuring extensive illustrations, previously unpublished documents, and in-depth essays.
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| Giacometti and Italy: Over 100 Works at Palazzo Reale Illustrate His Connection to the Peninsula |
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