From November 26, 2026, to May 3, 2027, the Palazzo delle Papesse in Siena will host WHAT WE CARRY WITH US, a new exhibition by Subodh Gupta, one of India’s most acclaimed contemporary artists. The exhibition is produced by Opera Laboratori in collaboration with Galleria Continua and curated by Irene Campolmi; it was conceived specifically for the Palazzo’s Renaissance spaces.
At the heart of the project is a question: What do we carry with us? Objects, memories, emotions, habits, and stories—but also the memory of the lives touched by those very objects. Gupta’s exploration begins with everyday objects—such as pots, plates, bowls, kitchen utensils, containers, and bicycles—which the artist collects, accumulates, and reassembles, giving them a new dimension through large-scale installations and monumental sculptures.
Domestic objects thus become custodians of the traces of the people who used them, of the families, homes, and places from which they come. This work is also linked to the artist’s origins and the history of contemporary India, marked by transformations and migrations, where objects can take on the role of traveling companions and witnesses to individual and collective changes. Starting with simple elements, Gupta addresses themes such as migration, hunger, inequality, and environmental crises, using the home, family, food, rituals, and nostalgia as tools for observing society.
The dialogue with Palazzo delle Papesse thus revolves around the theme of memory. The building, commissioned in 1460 by Enea Silvio Piccolomini for his sister Caterina, preserves traces of its history and also hosted Galileo Galilei, who in 1633 observed the Moon from the palace’s rooftop terrace. Since 2024, the building has been owned by Opera Laboratori, which has launched a new initiative dedicated to cultural and museum management.
Born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, and now living in New Delhi, Subodh Gupta has developed his artistic practice through sculpture, installation, painting, photography, video, and performance. His works are included in collections such as the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Centre Pompidou, and the François Pinault Collection, and have been exhibited in museums and international institutions.
WHAT WE CARRY WITH US marks a new chapter in the programming launched by Palazzo delle Papesse following its reopening as a cultural space in September 2024. The series began with “Julio Le Parc: The Discovery of Perception. Works from 1958 to the Present,” followed by “Hugo Pratt: Imaginary Geographies,” “Armando Testa: Cucù-Tetè, ” and “Living the Renaissance: “Domestic Furnishings in Siena from the 15th Century to the Mannerist Period,” the latter of which runs through November 1, 2026. The project dedicated to Gupta is also supported by the Brunello di Montalcino Wine Consortium and Lavazza.
“When I first visited Palazzo delle Papesse, I was struck by the sense of time,” says Subodh Gupta. “How many lives have passed through these places? It’s incredible to think about. *What We Carry With Us* is about what we carry with us: our history, our memories, our emotions, our feelings. We also carry what we don’t even know we’re carrying. That is the journey. On this journey, I am thrilled to bring my objects to this place so deeply connected to the Renaissance. My contemporary work will engage in a dialogue with the Renaissance period. It’s another journey I can’t wait to begin.”
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| Subodh Gupta Brings Objects of Memory to Siena: The Exhibition “What We Carry With Us” at the Palazzo delle Papesse |
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