Press Release Milan, December 4, 2025 | Over the next two years, Pirelli HangarBicocca will present a series of eight new exhibitions bringing artists, works, and architecture into dialogue. A shared experience that invites the public to discover the museum as a living organism, open and responsive while advancing its long-term mission to make art and culture more accessible.
The 2026 programme will feature exhibitions by Benni Bosetto, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Aki Sasamoto, and Luciano Fabro. In 2027, the artist line-up includes Carlos Bunga, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Hicham Berrada, and Cecilia Vicuña.
Key Highlights - First major institutional solo exhibition by Benni Bosetto.
- First large institutional exhibition in Europe by Aki Sasamoto.
- First solo exhibition in Italy by Carlos Bunga.
- First major Italian institutional presentation in over two decades of Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller.
- Largest exhibition to date—and first in an Italian institution for Hicham Berrada.
- Major retrospective of Rirkrit Tiravanija, focusing on his spatial and architectural investigations.
- First Italian retrospective since 2007 of Arte Povera pioneer Luciano Fabro, developed in collaboration with the Archivio Luciano e Carla Fabro.
- Large-scale retrospective of Cecilia Vicuña, transforming the Navate into a living archive of ancestral knowledge and ecological consciousness.
| 1) Benni Bosetto, Florida, 2016. Installation view, "Florida," Tile Project Space, Milan, 2016. Courtesy the artist and Emanuela Campoli, Paris/Milan. Photo Floriana Giacinti; 2) Rirkrit Tiravanija, untitled 2006 (palm pavilion), 2006-08. Installation view, kurimanzutto, Mexico City, 2008. Courtesy the artist and kurimanzutto; 3) Aki Sasamoto performing The Ball, 2016, "Aki Sasamoto: Delicate Cycle," SculptureCenter, New York. Photo Kyle Knodell; 4) Luciano Fabro, Coreografia, 1975. Installation view, Galleria Christian Stein, Turin, 1975. Courtesy Galleria Christian Stein, Turin. Photo Mario Sarotto; 5)Carlos Bunga, Contra la extravagancia del deseo, 2022. Installation view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid. Photo Joaquín Cortes and Román Lores; 6) Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, The Infinity Machine, 2015. Installation view, Menil Collection, Houston, 2015. Courtesy the artists and Luhring Augustine, New York; 7) Hicham Berrada, Matrice minérale, 2019. Installation view, "Voyage d'Hiver," Jardin du château de Versailles, France, 2019. Courtesy the artist, Mennour, Paris, and WENTRUP, Berlin. © 2025 Hicham Berrada / SIAE. Photo Hicham Berrada; 8) Cecilia Vicuña, Cloud-Net, 1999. Site-specific installation and performance. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York,Hong Kong, Seoul. © 2025 Cecilia Vicuña / SIAE. | To download images
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Username: exhibition program 26-27
Password: pirellihangarbicocca Pirelli HangarBicocca's exhibition program for 2026–2027 will present eight major monographic exhibitions by both Italian and international artists. The program will introduce new perspectives and dialogues through site-specific shows conceived specifically for its distinctive and expansive exhibition spaces. Pirelli HangarBicocca will offer a cultural experience aligned with the institution's mission to produce, promote, and make contemporary art more accessible to a larger audience. Across the next two years, the program will draw the public's attention to artistic practices that critically examine the present by exploring forms of collective knowledge. The invited artists' research converges around shared themes, each approached from distinct perspectives. Benni Bosetto and Aki Sasamoto's investigations focus on the body, the ritual nature of everyday gestures, and communication. The notion of living somewhere as a perceptual experience or field of relations is central to the works of Luciano Fabro and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Carlos Bunga makes memory visible through matter with his sculptures and ephemeral architecture, while Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller weave narratives that are suspended between sound, imagination, and technology. Hicham Berrada introduces unexpected landscapes reinvented through science and natural phenomena. Cecilia Vicuña, on the other hand, transforms unstable, ephemeral gestures into tools of knowledge and resistance through a language by blending poetry, manual skills, and activism. The 2026–2027 calendar was developed by the curatorial department led by Vicente Todolí, Pirelli HangarBicocca's Artistic Director since 2012 and former director of the Tate Modern in London, the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves in Porto, and the IVAM in Valencia. The exhibition program is complemented by a range of publishing activities, including the publication of a catalogue for each exhibition and the creation of exhibition guides, which will be distributed to the public free of charge. With the announcement of its two-year program, Pirelli HangarBicocca reaffirms its long-term vision and commitment to ensure its exhibitions and cultural events free and accessible to the public, including Anselm Kiefer's The Seven Heavenly Palaces 2004-2015. This longstanding approach aligns with the Milanese institution's mission to be a model museum and a vibrant hub for exchange and discussion. «Pirelli's desire to support Pirelli HangarBicocca stems from the belief that culture, knowledge, and art are essential drivers of social evolution and development. We have accompanied the institution's growth over the years, helping it become a pillar of the local community and an important player in the international art scene by promoting production, research, and cultural discourse. It is a source of great pride for all of us, as well as for those who work enthusiastically every day to disseminate culture», explains President Marco Tronchetti Provera. «With the new cycle of eight exhibitions, we want to create a journey that unfolds over time. Each show resonates with the others, becoming a shared experience that encourage a direct relationship between the artworks and the public. The program is born from the dialogue between the artists' vision and our space. The museum we imagine is a living organism, capable of questioning the present and offering visitors new perspectives», says Vicente Todolí, the museum's Artistic Director. The program surrounding the exhibitions From 2026 to 2027, Pirelli HangarBicocca will continue to develop its program of activities and events. The focus will be on communication, research, in-depth analysis, education, inclusion, and training for various audiences. The calendar reflects Pirelli HangarBicocca's commitment to openness and dialogue with communities and organizations working in various areas of society. The program will consist of the following: - The Public Program, which is organized as an in-depth exploration of the exhibitions and involves interdisciplinary events with Italian and international guests. These events will also include performances and music.
- Educational activities for schools, children, and families.
- Accessibility and inclusion projects developed in collaboration with Milan and Italy-based institutions and organizations.
- Training projects designed for teachers and professionals. These projects involve Italian artists directly and are designed to build knowledge and skills by connecting art, contemporary topics, languages, school, and work.
- Public activities will include guided tours of the exhibitions led by museum mediators and based on consistent dialogue with visitors.
Current Exhibitions The two exhibitions currently on display at Pirelli HangarBicocca will be presented at other institutions in 2026. Yuko Mohri's "Entanglements" will travel to the Fundación Botín in Santander, Spain, from March to September. Nan Goldin's "This Will Not End Well" will travel to the Grand Palais Rmn in Paris, France, from March to June. | The 2026–2027 exhibition calendar at Pirelli HangarBicocca Forthcoming exhibitions will alternate between the Navate and the Shed exhibition spaces. The former will feature major retrospectives or anthologies of well-known, historicized artists, and the latter will showcase younger or mid-career artists. 2026 Shed space
Benni Bosetto 12.02-19.07.2026 Press preview 10.02.2026 Curated by Fiammetta Griccioli For her first major institutional solo exhibition, Benni Bosetto (b. 1987, Merate, Italy; lives and works in Milan) will transform the Shed into a domestic environment, a living organism, where rooms, walls, and surfaces come to life, giving to the space a distinctly human dimension. The show will invite profound reflections on the body, on intimacy exposed to the gaze of others, and on the concept of care and rest as forms of resistance. Her practice moves across drawing, sculpture, installation, and performance, exploring representations of identity and grasping the human experience, while also reflecting on notions of memory and ritual, sensuality and sexuality. Navate space
Rirkrit Tiravanija
26.03 – 26.07.2026
Press preview 24.03.2026
Curated by Lucia Aspesi and Vicente Todolí
Among the most influential contemporary artists of the international scene, Rirkrit Tiravanija (b. 1961, Buenos Aires; lives and works between New York, Berlin and Chiang Mai) has profoundly shifted how we perceive and engage with art today. Since the 1990s, his socially engaged practice has explored questions of cultural identity and often encouraged visitor participation, introducing everyday life into the museum. The retrospective at Pirelli HangarBicocca will center on Tiravanija's long-standing investigation into architectural practice. Alongside a selection of historical works, the exhibition will create spaces for gathering and sharing real-life experiences, with works drawing inspiration from visionary figures such as Rudolf Michael Schindler, Frederick Kiesler, Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson, Jean Prouvé and Sigur Lewerentz. Shed space Aki Sasamoto 17.09.2026 – 17.01.2027 Press preview 15.09.2026
Curated by Roberta Tenconi with Tatiana Palenzona At the intersection of performance, sculpture, installation, and video, Aki Sasamoto (b. 1980, Kanagawa, Japan; lives and works in New York) creates environments and situations in which objects and people engage in unusual interactions. Through a metaphorical lens, her immersive experiences explore time and memory with a blend of playfulness and philosophical insight. The exhibition at Pirelli HangarBicocca marks the artist's first major institutional presentation in Europe and, through works spanning nearly two decades of artistic exploration, delves into the notion of connectedness and the intricate structures of human relationships— how we understand each other, navigate social life, and negotiate the elasticity of bonds. Navate space Luciano Fabro 08.10.2026 – 21.02.2027 Press preview 06.10.2026 Curated by Fiammetta Griccioli, Roberta Tenconi and Vicente Todolí with the collaboration of Silvia Fabro (Archivio Luciano e Carla Fabro) Luciano Fabro (b. 1936, Turin – d. 2007, Milan) was a prominent exponent of the Arte Povera movement and a central figure in postwar Italian art. The artist initiated in the 1960s a personal exploration into sculpture and the concept of inhabiting space—conceived as a dynamic field of action. After more than 45 years since his last exhibition in Milan, the retrospective at Pirelli HangarBicocca, organized in collaboration with the Archivio Luciano e Carla Fabro, delves into his perceptual and spatial investigations tracing the evolution through seminal works and culminating in complex architectural structures and ideal environments—often made in paper—that the artist referred to as "Habitat". 2027 Shed space Carlos Bunga 02 – 07.2027 Curated by Lucia Aspesi and Sandra Guimarães For his first solo exhibition in Italy, Carlos Bunga (b. 1976, Porto, Portugal; lives and works in Barcelona) will radically transform the architectural setting of the Shed at Pirelli HangarBicocca, redefining its spatial boundaries and transfiguring its volumes. Through his peculiar use of color, transient materials, sculpture, and performance, the multidisciplinary artist investigates the underlying hierarchical and authoritarian dynamics embedded in the spaces and environments we inhabit. His ongoing processes of construction and demolition bring forth layered and urgent issues such as migration, demography, and socio-economic disparity. Navate space
Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller
03 – 07.2027
Curated by Fiammetta Griccioli and Vicente Todolí Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller (b. 1957, Ontario, Canada; b. 1960, Vegreville, Canada; both live and work in British Columbia) have been working together since 1995 in one of the most compelling artistic collaboration in contemporary art. Their practice challenges sensory experience, creating immersive, ambiguous and emotionally charged settings where sound guides vision, and observation yields to auditory experience. Cardiff and Bures Miller's installations lead the viewer into a distorted and fantastical reality where perceptions of time and space blur. For their first major retrospective in an Italian institution in over two decades, the Navate of Pirelli HangarBicocca will be inhabited by monumental installations, and sonic works alongside more intimate pieces, including historical works and new pieces specifically conceived for the exhibition space. Shed space Hicham Berrada 09.2027 – 01.2028 Curated by Vicente Todolí with Tatiana Palenzona For his largest exhibition to date—and for the first time in an Italian institution—Hicham Berrada (b. 1986, Casablanca, Morocco; lives and works in Paris) will bring to Pirelli HangarBicocca a selection of his most emblematic and multisensory landscapes that blur the boundaries between art and science. Drawing from the history of cinema, the aesthetics of video games, as well as studies in botany and mineralogy, the artist creates sculptures and installations that merge the laws of physics with evocative scenographies, and mathematical formulas with dreamlike settings. Situated somewhere between a scientific laboratory, a Wunderkammer, and cinematic set, the Shed will be transformed into a hybrid environment where photographic prints and video projections interact with uncanny vitrines staging the unpredictable spectacle of nature in motion. Navate space Cecilia Vicuña 10.2027 – 02.2028
Curated by Lucia Aspesi and Roberta Tenconi Cecilia Vicuña (b. 1948, Santiago, Chile; lives and works in New York) is an artist, poet, and activist that has developed multidisciplinary practice—spanning sculpture, installation, poetry, painting, video, performance, and sound—which stands among the most radical voices in contemporary art. Her work is deeply rooted in political and social engagement, drawing on Indigenous knowledge systems and ancestral cosmologies to question the violence of memory. The retrospective at Pirelli HangarBicocca will feature a wide selection of the artist's works, offering a layered and sensitive exploration—merging perception and memory, spirituality and activism—and addressing issues tied to sociopolitical, cultural, and ecological urgencies. The Navate space will be transformed into a living archive of fragments and precarious gestures, traces of memory and rituals, where natural materials such as wool, shells, feathers, and found wood become carriers of ancestral wisdom. | Pirelli HangarBicocca from 2004 to date Exhibitions Born in 2004, Pirelli HangarBicocca is a non-profit foundation that has had Pirelli as a founding partner since its inception. In recent years, the exhibition space has consolidated its role as an art center, attracting international audiences with shows characterized by high curatorial standards and visual impact, and offering unique exhibitions combined with public programming that corresponds to the themes of the exhibitions. Since 2004, the permanent work by Anselm Kiefer, The Seven Heavenly Palaces 2004, has been presented within the exhibition spaces—a monumental installation that has become one of the most iconic works in the city of Milan. The following exhibitions have been presented since 2004: Anselm Kiefer's permanent installation, solo exhibition by Mark Wallinger, group exhibition "Playground & Toys", solo exhibition by Marina Abramović, group exhibition "START@HANGAR", group exhibition "COLLATERAL", group exhibition "NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK: EMERGENZE", group exhibition "URBAN MATTERS", solo exhibition by Daniele Puppi, solo exhibition by Lucy + Jorge Orta, solo exhibition by BLU, solo exhibition by Alfredo Jaar, solo exhibition by Anthony McCall, group exhibition "FUORI CENTRO", solo exhibition by Carlos Casas, solo exhibition by Christian Boltanski, solo exhibition by Phill Niblock, group exhibition "Terre Vulnerabili" 1/4, group exhibition "Terre Vulnerabili" 2/4, group exhibition "Terre Vulnerabili" 3/4, group exhibition "Terre Vulnerabili" 4/4, solo exhibition by Surasi Kusolwong, solo exhibition by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. Since 2010 Pirelli HangarBicocca has housed the permanent sculpture La Sequenza (1971-81) by Fausto Melotti. From 2012 to 2013 the following solo exhibitions were presented: Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi, Hans Peter Feldmann, Wilfredo Prieto, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Carsten Nicolai, Tomás Saraceno, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Mike Kelley. Since 2013, under the direction of Vicente Todolí, the following exhibitions have been presented: Ragnar Kjartansson, Dieter and Björn Roth, Micol Assaël, Cildo Meireles, João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva, Joan Jonas, Céline Condorelli, Juan Muñoz, Damián Ortega, Philippe Parreno, Petrit Halilaj, Carsten Höller, Kishio Suga, Laure Prouvost, Miroslaw Balka, Rosa Barba, Lucio Fontana, the group show Take Me (I'm Yours), Eva Kot'átková, Matt Mullican, Leonor Antunes, Mario Merz, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Sheela Gowda, Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, Cerith Wyn Evans, Trisha Baga, Chen Zhen, Neïl Beloufa, Maurizio Cattelan, Anicka Yi, Steve McQueen, Bruce Nauman, Dineo Sheshee Bopape, Gian Maria Tosatti, Ann Veronica Janssens, Thao Nguyen Phan, James Lee Byars, Chiara Camoni, Nari Ward, Saodat Ismailova, Jean Tinguely, Tarek Atoui, Yukinori Yanagi, Yuko Mohri, Nan Goldin. In 2015, an expansion of Anselm Kiefer's installation The Seven Heavenly Palaces 2004-2015 was presented, adding five paintings. The image archive of the exhibitions produced since 2012 is part of the Google Arts&Culture platform https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/pirelli-hangarbicocca Public Art Projects Since 2016, Pirelli HangarBicocca has expanded its boundaries by opening the building's vast outdoor area to artists for new public art projects. The 2024 mural Waves Only Exist Because the Wind Blows, created by eL Seed, follows the 2016 mural Efêmero, created by OSGEMEOS, which was visible until February 2024. Through the "Outside the Cube" project, curated by Cedar Lewisohn, Pirelli HangarBicocca aims to initiate a dialogue that establishes the institution and its spaces as a new reference point for developing and promoting artistic expressions connected to the urban context. Produced and co-produced artworks, and collaborations with other institutions Pirelli HangarBicocca also promotes contemporary art through the commissioning and production of works specifically conceived by artists for exhibitions in the Shed and Navate spaces. Since 2013, Pirelli HangarBicocca has commissioned and produced more than 110 works by numerous artists: Dieter and Björn Roth, Micol Assaël, João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva, Céline Condorelli, Damián Ortega, Petrit Halilaj, Carsten Höller, Laure Prouvost, Miroslaw Balka, Rosa Barba, Eva Kot'átková, Leonor Antunes, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Sheela Gowda, Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, Cerith Wyn Evans, Trisha Baga, Maurizio Cattelan, Anicka Yi, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Gian Maria Tosatti, Ann Veronica Janssens, Thao Nguyen Phan, Chiara Camoni, Nari Ward, Saodat Ismailova, Tarek Atoui and Yukinori Yanagi. For the production and circulation of artworks and exhibitions, Pirelli HangarBicocca collaborates with diverse national and international institutions: museums, galleries, foundations, research centers, universities, technology hubs, and public bodies. Among these are Camden Arts Center (London), CAPC musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, Centro per l'Arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci (Prato), Fondazione Henraux (Lucca), Fondazione In Between Art Film (Rome), Fondazione Lucio Fontana (Milan), Fundación Botín (Santander), GAM (Turin), GAMeC (Bergamo), Grand Palais Rmn (Paris), Hayward Gallery - Southbank Centre (London), IAC Institut d'art contemporain (Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes), International Film Festival Rotterdam, Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Copenhagen), Kunsthaus Bregenz, MADRE (Naples), MA*GA (Gallarate), Malmö Konsthall, MAMbo (Bologna), MAN (Nuoro), MAXXI (Rome), Museo del Novecento (Milan), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves (Porto), Museum Tinguely (Basel), Neue Nationalgalerie (Berlin), Pinault Collection (Paris and Venice), Polo Tecnologico Pirelli (Settimo Torinese), S.M.A.K. Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (Ghent), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), TBA21-Academy (Madrid), Tate Modern (London), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca. The Public Program to date The Pirelli HangarBicocca Public Program consists of a series of cultural events that aim to give the public the opportunity to explore the artistic practices of featured artists, and engage in interdisciplinary reflections on the themes addressed by exhibitions and permanent installations. From 2012 to the present, Pirelli HangarBicocca has presented around 150 cultural events, among which talks, symposia, conversations with artists, workshops, book clubs, exhibition walks, special visits, concerts, DJ sets, sound installations, performances, screenings, conversations with artists, workshops, book clubs, walks though the exhibitions, special visits. These events featured the exhibiting artists, curators, scholars, intellectuals, and professionals from different disciplines. These include Dennis Bovell, Germano Celant, Gavin Bryars, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Mark Fell, Joan Jonas, Ragnar Kjartansson, (LA) Horde, Bruno Latour, Arto Lindsay, Alvin Lucier, Meredith Monk, Jessica Morgan, Carsten Nicolai, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Michael Rudy, Lorenzo Senni, Mika Vainio, Agata Zubel and numerous others. The Public Program is currently curated by Giovanna Amadasi. Educational Projects The program consists of a series of workshops, visits, laboratories, tours, and training courses based on exhibition themes. These activities are designed for different age groups and visitors, including children, teenagers, families, students, and teachers. The Kids Program offers creative courses and family labs led by arts tutors, beginning with a visit to the exhibitions. The school program consists of workshops and activities for students of all ages and levels. The goal is to engage students in various disciplines by starting with a viewing of the exhibition. Additionally, Pirelli HangarBicocca's Educational Department develops training projects and collaborations with university departments, involving artists, curators, writers, and professionals from other disciplines. These projects are conducted in partnership with universities, academies, and higher education centers. Accessibility Pirelli HangarBicocca has created audio-video guides in Italian Sign Language (LIS) for the museum and its permanent installations. There are also guided tours and creative itineraries in LIS and Italian for temporary exhibitions that include both deaf and hearing visitors. To encourage social participation and facilitate access to museums and culture for people with intellectual disabilities, the museum offers accessible guides designed according to easy-to-read parameters and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) principles. This initiative is part of the "Museo per tutti" (Museum for All) project, which was created by the nonprofit association L'abilità. Pirelli HangarBicocca continues to develop and integrate tools and pathways that increase opportunities for everyone to enjoy contemporary art. Publishing activity Pirelli HangarBicocca produces monographic publishing projects that accompany visitors through the permanent installation and each of the temporary exhibitions. In addition to a rich photographic apparatus, the catalogs contain theoretical texts by critics, curators and academics that delve into rarely-studied aspects of the artists' work. More than 50 volumes have been published since 2013. Pirelli HangarBicocca is pursuing a publishing project dedicated to researching and analyzing the work of Maurizio Cattelan, one of Italy's most renowned international artists. Developed in collaboration with the Marsilio Arte publishing house, the project follows the 2021 solo exhibition "Maurizio Cattelan: Breath Ghosts Blind" and the publication of its catalog. During the exhibition, a volume entitled INDEX was published, bringing together all of the artist's interviews conducted over twenty years for the first time. In October 2025, Beware of Yourself was published, collecting all of Cattelan's works, exhibitions, and projects, and providing a comprehensive overview of his career. The publishing activity also includes exhibition guides addressing the artist's work. These guides are an indispensable resource for visitors during and after their visit and are available free of charge in Italian and English, in both paper and digital formats. | |
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