Travel is a suspension of everyday life, a transitory living space that expands the natural course of events, a bit like parentheses within a speech: they separate the discourse to open another, amplifying the concept.
These are the premises of ArtVerona, the modern and contemporary art fair celebrating its twenty-first edition in October 2026. An ongoing conversation between art, territory, subjects, and forms, this year intends to enhance these very spaces that open between things, like parentheses, the in-between places where we remain open to new meanings.
The fair will be hosted not only in Pavilions 11 and 12 of Veronafiere, with 113 galleries, projects, and contemporary art languages, but also in a rich program of initiatives spread across galleries, museums, and spaces in Verona. The contemporary and modern art fair will encompass the halls of Palazzo Forti and the Sala Morone inside the Franciscan Convent of San Bernardino, creating a dynamic exhibition model and transcending the scope of a trade fair event by connecting art, business, innovation, and the local community.
From October 9th to 11th, 2026 , you can enrich your trip to Veneto with new meaning and transcend the temporal dimension of travel: discover a contemporary and innovative Verona, wander the streets of the center and explore the city in a new way, enrich your journey with art and its reflection on contemporary society.
The event: events, projects, exhibitors, and what to see
As we've seen, this year's theme, Parentheses, invites profound reflection: what lives in that space of transit and connection? Visitors will therefore find themselves immersed in a series of projects and events specifically designed to spark reflections and expand the usual meanings of things.
Main Section transcends the traditional separation between contemporary and 20th-century art galleries and fosters an open dialogue between galleries, collectors, artists, and the public. The "Sauna Effect" , curated by Thomas Ba, compares artists at different stages of their careers: the title comes from the work that Knud W. Jensen, founder of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, did in the 1950s, alternating warm and cold visual temperatures, thus establishing a dialogue between established and emerging artists.
The STILL curated by Giovanna Manzotti, is an in-depth analysis of the expressive possibilities of the photographic medium: from emerging authors to established artists, the journey unfolds through monographs, collective projects, and generational comparisons.
Painting (Now), curated by Leonardo Regano, explores the gestures of contemporary creation, where the conceptual parenthesis marks the transition point where the pictorial medium escapes stability and opens to the new. Finally, the Awave Zone is dedicated to galleries and cultural institutions from Korea: an in-depth look at the contemporary Korean art scene curated by Asia Art Wave.
These are the sections that will complement the Main Sections and the Publishing Sections, along with numerous projects and works from public and private collections that enrich the pavilions, including the Cinema Hall. In the entrance hall, you'll find the PORTALUCE installation, curated by Edizioni Brigantino, or PRIMA, the artist studio dedicated to young artists, curated by the Academy of Fine Arts of Verona.
Verona Beyond the Place: The City Becomes Art
The ArtVerona fair isn't a closed circuit between galleries and collections; it's a broad, participatory project that engages the city itself in all its beauty. Verona, therefore, continues to be a city of art to visit, but rather a city where art comes alive and engages with the surrounding area, establishing an innovative and modern dialogue, capable of engaging enthusiasts and visitors, with a compelling program of events
Palazzo Forti will host a performance entitled "Cittadini!" (Citizens!) , conceived by Dora García in collaboration with Marlene Fantonicurated by Laura Lamonea , reflects on the meaning of citizenship, participation, but also belonging and exclusion. This choral performance invites reflection on citizenship rights and inclusion.
The Sala Morone of the Convent of San Bernardino is the venue for Rosa, the exhibition by Luce Trevisani curated by Luca Cerizza: the works collected here have been developed over twenty years to investigate the relationship between man and matter and dialogue silently with the architecture and the figures of saints and bodies kept in the Sala Morone.
Finally, don't miss a visit to the Fondazione Cariverona on Via Forti and the UniCredit on Via Garibaldi for the exhibition The Shape of Space by Marinella Senatore, in collaboration with the Museo del Contemporaneo UniVr, ArtVerona, and Urbs Picta. The internationally renowned Italian artist has created a site-specific installation.
Experience Verona during the fair: the travel space
This autumn begins with a bang: the city of Verona expands its artistic repertoire and makes room for the new, the contemporary, but also for reflection, the concept, and the beauty of participation. Every visitor is invited and involved in this process.
If you too want to discover Verona at its most artistic, ArtVerona is the perfect opportunity to visit the city. But be prepared: it won't be a traditional trip; you'll discover a new meaning to travel and understand that it's a totally different space from your everyday life. Transform your trip into an experience, experience the city, and let yourself be surprised, disturbed, captivated, and transformed. Because a trip isn't an experience if it doesn't change us at least a little from who we were before we left.
Find your comfortable, fully equipped temporary housing solution. You'll be able to experience the city of Verona independently, privately, and comfortably. Be amazed by the city's events and immerse yourself in a new concept of travel.
