The selection process for the 108th Collective Exhibition of Young Artists by the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa has been completed. This event is dedicated to the discovery, promotion, and enhancement of emerging contemporary art.
The selected works, chosen from those submitted by March 16, will be featured in the group exhibition scheduled from May 5 to June 28, held in conjunction with the Venice Biennale 2026. The exhibition will take place in the Sala del Camino, within the monumental complex of SS. Cosma e Damiano on Giudecca, one of the Foundation’s institutional venues.
Open to artists under 30 who live in or have chosen to reside in the Triveneto area, the Collective Exhibition embraces all contemporary artistic languages – painting, sculpture, installation, video, performance, and process-based practices – alongside a dedicated section for the competition to design the event’s visual identity.
The works were evaluated by a jury appointed by the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, composed of Elena Forin, independent curator and Lecturer in Museology at the Accademia di Belle Arti Santa Giulia (Brescia) and the University of Parma; Gaetano Mainenti, Lecturer in Decoration at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia; Angela Mengoni, Lecturer in Semiotics at Università Iuav di Venezia; Stefania Portinari, Lecturer in Contemporary Art History at Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia; and Giovanni Turria, Lecturer in Printmaking at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.
The selected artists are: Gaia Agostini (Nel giorno della Madonna della Neve); Michele Azzalini (Dispositivi Minerali); Elena Baggio (Aspettando la settimana dei tre giovedì; Io alla tua età saltavo i fossi per lungo); Elisa Bersano (Lillà e Cannella); Paola Bianco (Impermeabile; Altitudini); Daniel Bresolin (Eterno Ardente); Davide Busato Danesi (Nelle città di rame); Duccio Cappelletti (Play Ground; Fine Corsa); Beatrice Cera (Pa(e/s)saggio, Blu; Pa(e/s)saggio, Bianco); Caterina Ciliberti (La mia bimba bella...cresce!); Alex De Bastiani (Piove sul bagnato; Horse 2); Silvia De Vicari (Archivio segreto); Davide De Vivo (Cipria); Tali Dello Strologo (L’ora lunga); Gabriele Edomi (Anemografie); Giacomo Fumagalli (Sotto pallide vele); Sergio Gagliardo (Pandemonio); Filippo Locatelli (Unusual Dialogue); Alice Lot (Nel mio giardino); Flora Maffezzoli (Ode a niente; Riposino sentimentale con complicazioni); Rovers Malaj (Rue Philippe); Jessica Mendicino (Prima soglia); Massimo Munich (Can I Help You?; Grew Up); Sebastiano Pallavisini (Eruzione cutanea); Lorenzo Piazza (Procession); Francesca Pieropan (Il cuore caldo soffre sempre il freddo); Gioele Provenzano (Jenga Logistics; Niente da dichiarare); Fanchang Qu (Feng); Matteo Ragazzini (Untitled); Pietro Romano (Pogo); Anna Ronchiato (Lettere a me (1); Lettere a me (2)); Camilla Salvagnin (Il paradosso del paraculo); Maurizio Segato (Cantabile); Irene Stellin (45.303372, 12.185134 (Bio-tracce)); Stefano Tolusso (Ratto Magnetico Ford Fiesta); Tommaso Viccaro (Pick Me Up on Your Way Down); Simone Zanchin (Iekk).
Through three acquisition prizes worth €3,000 each and two acquisition prizes worth €2,000 each, the winning works will enter the Bevilacqua La Masa Collection, officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Culture – Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity.
The three main acquisition prizes will be announced during the opening ceremony on Tuesday, May 5 at 12:00 pm.
Participation in the Collective Exhibition is conceived as both a formative and an exhibition experience: artists are involved in the entire process, from the submission of their work to the selection phase, through to installation and the production of the catalogue.
The works were presented in the presence of the Foundation’s curatorial staff between March 16 and 18, 2026, fostering direct dialogue between artists and the institution—one of the defining features of this historic event. The jury evaluated the works in person on Wednesday, March 25.
Alongside the selection of artworks, particular attention was given to the event’s graphic design project. The winning proposal was submitted by Alessandro Durighello, who will be responsible for developing the visual identity of the event. Projects by Alessia Ottaviani, Marta Mancuso, Clelia Cadamuro, Chiara Cunoci, Virginia Follo, Lucia Bortolus, Etienne Dal Ben, Bianca Francesca Serafin, and Erika Verlato were also selected. The competition represents an important professional opportunity for young creatives, offering a €1,000 prize and the implementation of the winning design across all communication materials, both digital and print.
For the second consecutive year, the Collective Exhibition is also part of the European project CreArt 3.0 #stringing_together, funded under the Creative Europe Programme, providing selected artists with access to an international network spanning 13 European cities and promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices.
The SS. Cosma e Damiano complex is confirmed as a vibrant creative hub within the city of Venice, hosting 9 of the 15 Artist Studios of the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa and engaging in dialogue with local cultural organizations, including CTR – Centro Teatrale di Ricerca, Pantakin Circoteatro (PTK), the Compagnia de Calza “I Antichi”, and the Fondazione Archivio Luigi Nono.
The publication accompanying each edition constitutes an important documentary tool and contributes to the Foundation’s historic editorial series which, since 1908, has been an essential resource for research on contemporary art.
Established in 1908 as the Permanent Exhibition of Venetian Arts and Industries, based at Ca’ Pesaro, the Collective Exhibition of Young Artists of the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa was created in accordance with the will of Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa, who in 1898 designated the palace to support artists excluded from the academic and elite circuits of the early Venice Biennale.
From its earliest editions, under the direction of Nino Barbantini, the Foundation provided working spaces—the Bevilacqua La Masa Studios—and exhibition opportunities for young artists in the region. Among those participating in the first exhibition were Gino Rossi and Arturo Martini; in subsequent years, artists such as Cagnaccio di San Pietro, Felice Casorati, Vincenzo Eulisse, Bice Lazzari, Guido Marussing, Armando Pizzinato, Giuseppe Santomaso, Raoul Schulz, Riccardo Szweizer, Tancredi (Parmeggiani), Giovanni Soccol, Emilio Vedova, Vittorio Zecchin, and Carmelo Zotti exhibited their work.
Over more than a century of activity, the Collective Exhibition has established itself as a key platform for young creatives working in the Triveneto area, offering an open environment for engagement with the professional art system. Many artists who developed within this context are now represented by leading galleries and institutions nationally and internationally. Among the names that have emerged in recent years are Giacomo Bianco, Ludovico Bomben, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Luca Clabot, T-Yong Chung, Nebojša Despotović, Roberto Fassone, Enej Gala, Riccardo Giacconi, Veronica de Giovanelli, Kensuke Koike, Rachele Maistrello, Arianna Marcolin, Serena Nono, Fabio Roncato, Michele Spanghero, Jacopo Valentini, and Emilio Vavarella.