Gres Art 671: Urban regeneration and Art at the heart of Bergamo's new cultural hub

gres Art 671 came to life in the context of Bergamo Brescia Capital of Culture 2023, breathing new life into the area and attracting both locals and visitors with an extensive program of internationally recognized exhibitions, as well as events, installations, and workshops. The space spans 3,000 square meters, divided into four main areas: the gallery, the garden, the terrace, and the café.

The building’s restoration and architectural intervention by De8 Architetti of Bergamo are two key elements in the urban regeneration project conceived by the developers.

The project not only aims to preserve the historical significance of the building, acknowledging its industrial value, but also to transform the space in a way that reflects a contemporary vision, creating a place dedicated to art in its various forms. The project also features a large square—an open, lively, and inclusive space—leading to two pavilions within the area, divided into two large sections: the first dedicated to hospitality, the second to exhibition projects. A large garden, with free access, completes the layout.

Gres Art 671 © Diego De Pol

While the starting point of gres Art 671 was a former industrial complex, its ultimate goal is to become a public space for social and cultural interaction, with its identity being gradually shaped by those who inhabit it and by the cultural initiatives that take place there. 

For gres Art 671, art is both the medium and the tool for reaching and engaging the community, involving it in the transformation process and utilizing available resources to improve the city, its neighborhoods, and the lives of the people who live in or visit them. Notably, one of the symbols of gres Art 671 is the seven silos installed at the entrance of the site. Designed by Mario Nanni, these 10-meter-high structures, made of corten steel by Viabizzuno, were first seen and appreciated during the company's exhibition at Fuorisalone 2015, in the outdoor spaces of their showroom on Via San Marco, in the heart of the Brera Design District.

The Location
With a total area of 3,000 m², divided into 4 sections and featuring a 600 m² garden, these are the key figures of gres Art 671, located in a post-industrial area where the complex, later renamed “exGres,” once stood. The building dates back to the mid-20th century and features architectural qualities typical of industrial plants from that era. However, today it stands as an exception: it has survived the demolition of Bergamo's historic industrial fabric, which was largely erased by the city’s urban development. In building the future, the city often wiped out its past.
 

Gres Art 671 © Diego De Pol

The spaces are organized as follows
Gallery 671: A multifunctional space where exhibitions and events come to life. It offers a stimulating, interactive, and high-quality cultural program designed to engage a curious audience.

Garden: Covering an area of 600 m², this open square is where greenery and architecture meet and interact. A completely new space, yet perfectly integrated with the surrounding complex, as if it has always been part of it.

Terrace: In this area, the focus is on education: workshops, meetings, discussions, and moments of exchange serve the purpose of building a vibrant and aware community.

Gres Café: With a unique atmosphere and comfortable environment, coupled with an excellent tenant, this is the recipe behind the success of the venue.

Current Exhibition: "de bello. notes on war and peace"
A reflection on the madness of war and the impossibility of peace, through the work of 30 artists presented in the gallery spaces.

De Bello.Notes on War and Peace - Gres Art 671 © Diego De Pol

We had the opportunity to visit the exhibition with an exceptional guide, Francesca Acquati, one of the curators of the show along with 2050+ (Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli and Erica Petrillo). We were captivated by the strength and depth of the works on display, the perfect dialogue between the subjects presented and the architecture of the space, the interaction between the works, and the emotional dimension they evoke.

de bello. notes on war and peace is the first collective exhibition at gres Art 671, a journey through wars and conflicts, like a cycle that repeats over time, a phenomenon that spans epochs, places, and civilizations, leaving deep marks in collective memory. It is an experiential exploration of humanity during the universal stages of conflict, regardless of historical or geographical context.

De Bello.Notes on War and Peace - Gres Art 671 © Diego De Pol

Over 30 artists are featured in the exhibition: old masters, modern and contemporary artists, emerging and established figures, designers and activists, spanning six centuries of history. They invite reflection on how the experience of war shapes the emotions, perceptions, and sense of belonging of those who live it. The installations, paintings, photographs, sculptures, textile works, and videos on display evoke the succession of emotions and transformations accompanying each conflict: from the illusion of peace to unease, from alarm to confrontation, and finally, to the resistance and the ruins that follow. A cross-sectional look at historical periods and geographies, from the Risorgimento to Ukraine, from the Middle East to South America.

Here, art becomes more than a testimony: it is an act of resilience, a language capable of transforming pain into creation and destruction into rebirth. de bello challenges the audience, confronting them with the scars of history and their repetition, while also suggesting a possibility of redemption and, through participation in resistance, inspiring peace.

De Bello.Notes on War and Peace - Gres Art 671 © Diego De Pol

Curated by gres Art 671 (Francesca Acquati) and Pestellini Laparelli 2050+ (Erica Petrillo, Ippolito Pestellini), with an idea by Salvatore Garzillo and Gabriele Micalizzi, exhibition design by 2050+

Useful info

gres art 671 is open
from 9am to 9pm
from wednesday to sunday.

de bello. notes on war and peace
16th of april – 12th of october 2025

Exhibition opening hours:
Wednesday-Thursday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday-Sunday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM