Exhibitions and events not to be missed in October

Ph. Carlotta Coppo

Milan: M.C. Escher. Between Art and Science
Ten years after his last exhibition in Milan, MUDEC dedicates a major retrospective to Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972), retracing his entire artistic evolution.
On display are more than 90 works, including engravings, watercolors, and lithographs, alongside a selection of Islamic artifacts, to explore the dialogue between the visual sources that shaped the artist’s journey. From Art Nouveau to Italian landscapes, up to his famous geometric and visual games, the exhibition illustrates how Escher built an original language where mathematical rigor and poetic intuition intertwine. Special attention is given to his connection with Islamic art, whose modular structures and symmetries profoundly influenced his abstract vision of space.

Until February 8, 2026
At MUDEC


Foto di Gian Paolo Barbieri

Milan: Eternal Elegance – The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri
Between the financial district and the fashion quadrilateral, Zurich Italia and Zurich Bank inaugurate their new headquarters in Via Santa Margherita 11: a space that brings together innovation, sustainability, and a shared vision. Opening this new chapter is the exhibition Eternal Elegance – The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri, featuring iconic images and lesser-known works spanning forty years of fashion, art, and culture. The photographs depict an imaginative world rich in references to cinema, painting, and beauty in all its forms.

Until January 15, 2026
At Zurich Bank


Ph. Orma Golli, courtesy of Galleria Giustini Stagetti, Roma

Rome: Pedestals
Pedestals is the solo exhibition of Francesco Faccin, which challenges the traditional hierarchy between artwork and support. On display is a series of unpublished works, the result of twenty years of research, where the pedestal becomes an autonomous, sculptural element capable of telling a story. Wood, metal, and glass combine in essential forms that do not merely support but instead guide the gaze, create relationships, and demand attention.
Drawing inspiration from a long journey that stretches from classical antiquity to twentieth-century experimentation, Faccin restores centrality to what normally remains in the background, in a silent yet powerful investigation of the concepts of threshold, distance, and sacredness.
An exhibition that invites viewers to observe from new perspectives and brings the essential back to the forefront.

Until November 22, 2025
Giustini/Stagetti Gallery


Courtesy of Galleria San Fedele

Milan: The Wound. San Fedele Visual Arts Prize 2024/2025
The San Fedele Gallery in Milan inaugurates the exhibition of the San Fedele Visual Arts Prize 2024/2025, titled The Wound—a powerful, timely theme that serves as a key to interpreting the present and re-reading the history of the West. Curated by Fr. Andrea Dall’Asta SJ together with a team of critics and curators, the exhibition brings together the works of young artists selected for the residency of the 19th edition of the Prize, part of the Frate Francesco 2023–2026 project. Each artist has interpreted the theme of the wound through their own perspective, exploring diverse techniques and languages: from CGI to installation, from drawing to photography, as well as painting and sculpture.

Until October 18
At San Fedele Gallery


Courtesy of Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova di Possagno 

Possagno: Carlo Scarpa and the Arts at the Biennale
The Gemin Wing of the Museo Gypsotheca Canova in Possagno hosts the exhibition Carlo Scarpa and the Arts at the Biennale, curated by Mario Gemin and Orietta Lanzarini.
On display, for the first time, is a selection from the collection of architect Luciano Gemin, friend and collaborator of Scarpa, featuring works that highlight the Venetian master’s connection with the visual arts through the Venice Biennale, where he worked for nearly forty years. The exhibition unfolds in three sections: dialogues with artists (from Klee to Morandi), glass production for Cappellin and Venini, and his experience as designer of the Italian Pavilion, documented by drawings and sculptures conceived for the 1968 edition.
An opportunity to rediscover the depth of Scarpa’s thought and his original vision of the relationship between art, architecture, and the exhibition space.

Until January 11, 2026
At Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova 


Foto di Rodney Smith

Rovigo: Rodney Smith. Dream and Style in Photography
From October 4, 2025, Palazzo Roverella hosts the first major Italian retrospective dedicated to New York photographer Rodney Smith (1947–2016).
The exhibition presents over one hundred images spanning the artist’s entire career, celebrating his refined blend of elegance, compositional rigor, and surreal humor. His photographs evoke worlds suspended between reality and dream, enriched by references to Magritte’s painting and the cinema of Hitchcock and Wes Anderson, shaping a unique visual poetry. Divided into six sections, the exhibition takes visitors through suspended scenarios, guiding them to discover an artist who mastered the art of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Until February 1, 2026
At Palazzo Roverella


Tavole di Sara Colaone, courtesy of Palazzo Blu Pisa

Pisa: Sara Colaone. History and Stories of the 20th Century in Comics
A fascinating illustrated journey through the 20th century comes to life in the original drawings of Sara Colaone, one of the most powerful voices in contemporary comics. Curated by Giorgio Bacci, the exhibition presents a rich selection of plates from five different graphic novels, offering a unique perspective on marginality and forgotten stories. Individual and collective memory find perfect harmony in Colaone’s drawings, which invite the viewer to confront complex political and cultural legacies.

Until November 9, 2025
At Palazzo Blu


Paul Gauguin, "Donne tahitiane sulla spiaggia"

Rome: Gauguin. The Noa Noa Diary and Other Adventures
A journey into the universe of Paul Gauguin takes shape through an exhibition that narrates his life and artistic adventures. The show brings together over 100 works, including woodcuts, lithographs, and drawings, offering a privileged insight into the intimacy of the French artist. At the heart of the exhibition is Gauguin’s personal notebook, a precious document that reveals not only his graphic talent but also the personal and professional ties that marked his life, such as his relationship with Vincent Van Gogh. Written during his stay in Tahiti in 1893, the diary recounts myths, beliefs, and the natural beauty of the Polynesian islands, offering a starting point for deep reflections on existence.

Until January 25, 2026
At Museo Storico della Fanteria


Courtesy of MAXXI Roma

Rome: Stadiums. Architecture and Myth
A journey through the architecture of stadiums—symbols of passion and change—tells the story of cities through culture and collective identity.
The first major exhibition in Italy dedicated to this architectural type explores how these venues serve as stages for myths and theaters of our emotions, offering a reflection on their role in contemporary society. The exhibition also includes a special focus on Italian stadiums, their distribution, quality, and the ongoing debate about their regeneration prospects.

Until October 26, 2025
At MAXXI



Felice Casorati Designer. Parallels
The exhibition in Pavarolo focuses on the lesser-known side of Casorati’s work in design and applied arts. It unfolds across three locations in Pavarolo — the Studio Museo, the Veranda of Casa Casorati, and the Torre Campanaria — creating a dialogue between furniture and prototypes designed by Felice Casorati and works by Piergiorgio Robino’s Studio Nucleo. At the Museum, historical furnishings interact with contemporary elements; in the Veranda, the 3D-printed Assenze series explores the boundary between real and virtual; and in the Tower, recent pieces are on display, including the unique Chaise en l’occurence. Part of the Pavarolo Borgo Felice project, the exhibition is accompanied by a critical text by Damiano Gullì, highlighting the relevance of Casorati’s vision and Studio Nucleo’s role in shaping collectible design.

On view until 9 November 2025
At the Felice Casorati Studio Museum