A weekend of art, culture and beauty with locations right across the centre of Bologna. 6 to 8 February 2026 are the dates for the 14th edition of Art City Bologna, the event that transforms the city centre into a many-faceted hub of conferences, exhibitions and meetings with the direct involvement of artists, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces.
The event is linked to Arte Fiera 2026, with Art City complementing the artistic offering during the day and in the evening in synergy with the contemporary and modern art show.
Together with Marca Corona per l’Arte, for the 4th consecutive year we’re contributing to the calendar of events, which will be concentrated on the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday 6, 7 and 8 February, with a complete, official programme comprising the following free activities, open to the general public:
- Conference “Il tempo del ritrovarsi: il progetto della quotidianità” [“Time to rediscover ourselves: designing for daily life”]
- Presentation of the Premio Marca Corona, the award for artists and designers under 35
- The exhibition “ricAMARE. Il ricamo è un gesto d’amore” [“RicAMARE. Embroidery is an act of love”] by Pino Deodato, curated by Beatrice Audrito and in association with Galleria Susanna Orlando
Read on for information about timings, locations, the works on show and all the details you need to plan your visits to the Marca Corona per l’Arte events during the Art City Bologna 2026 weekend.
Friday 6 February. The complete official programme for the 1st day of Marca Corona per l’Arte events for Art City Bologna 2026
Friday 6 February 2026, our 1st day at Art City Bologna 2026 starts in the morning with the conference “Il tempo del ritrovarsi: il progetto della quotidianità” [“Time to rediscover ourselves: designing for daily life”], one of the series of talks on architecture and society in the “Cantiere Futuro” [“Designing the Future”] sequence.
The conference intends to provide an opportunity for dialogue, open to the public and industry professionals, about the new frontiers in architectural design, at a time when homes are increasingly becoming more an expression of “real estate” and financial status than a place where relationships can flourish.
The discussion will therefore focus on domestic architecture, with guests alternating in 2 main round table sessions on themes such as “the home and finance” and “the home for everyday living”. The speakers attending and contributing to the conversation will include:
- Franco La Cecla, Anthropologist and University Lecturer
- Pierluigi Molteni, Architect and Advanced Design Lecturer at the University of Bologna
- Emily Marion Clancy, Deputy Mayor of the City of Bologna and Councillor for the Home and Housing Policies
- Marco Battaglia, Manager of the Project Management Investire SGR Investment Fund
- Marco Marcatili, Director of Lombardini22 and President of CAAB
- Stefano Betti, Deputy President of ANCE (Italian Association of Private Construction Contractors) and President of Costruzioni Generali Due S.r.l.
- Davide Tommaso Ferrando, Architect and Associate Professor at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
- Stefano Pujatti, Architect and Founder of ElasticoFarm
Access to the conference is by registration, with no entry charge.
Attendance at the event gains professionals 3 training credits (CFPs).
There are two events in the afternoon and evening of the same day.
On the afternoon of 6 February the same splendid location, the Teatro San Leonardo at Via San Vitale 63, Bologna, will host the presentation ceremony of the Premio Marca Corona, the competition for talented young artists and designers under 35 years of age.
Who will be the winner of this 2025/2026 edition of the competition, entitled “Mani-mente-Mani. Allegorie della materia e della relazione” [“Hands-mind-Hands. Allegories of matter and relationships”]?
We’ll find out then and there, together with the young competitors, the audience and an outstanding jury, which will award the prize and comprises:
- Pino Deodato (Chairman of the Jury)
- Beatrice Audrito (Curator)
- Susanna Orlando (Gallery Owner)
- Luca Fiandri (Head of R&D, Marca Corona)
- Mariachiara Russo (Product Manager, Marca Corona)
- Antonio D’Amico (Director, Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Milan)
- Davide Sarchioni (Curator and contemporary art historian)
- Paola Rivetta (cultural and scientific journalist)
- Marco Bassan (contemporary art curator, Founder of Spazio Taverna)
And speaking of artist Pino Deodato, the awards ceremony will be followed from 6.30 pm by the private view of the exhibition “ricAMARE. Il ricamo è un gesto d’amore” [“RicAMARE. Embroidery is an act of love”], which transfers from the Galleria Marca Corona to Art City Bologna 2026 in a form specially curated for the occasion.
Saturday 7 February. The complete official programme for the 2nd day of Marca Corona per l’Arte events for Art City Bologna and Art City White Night 2026
The 2nd day of the Art City Bologna weekend, Saturday 7 February, will be dominated by the Art City White Night festival, which with Marca Corona per l’Arte starts right from the morning, with the extraordinary opening of the contemporary sculpture exhibition “ricAMARE. Il ricamo è un gesto d’amore” [“RicAMARE. Embroidery is an act of love”], featuring the works of Pino Deodato with amazing installations and inside the Teatro San Leonardo, which is transformed from a backdrop and stage for theatrical performance into an exclusive exhibition location.
Pino Deodato is the artist of the 4th edition of Marca Corona per l’Arte at Art City Bologna and this exhibition traces his work in painting and sculpture, with pieces in painted terracotta that embody his poetical vision of the world in exquisite details.
In fact, inspired by the technique of embroidery, Deodato transfers this art, with all its care, dedication and love, to the world of sculpture, reinforcing the manual skill, contact with matter and language intrinsic to his creative universe, where art comes to life and acquires form through an intimate, evocative, everyday vision.
A truly unique exhibition, displaying not only the works from the artist’s personal show but also new, recent creations, especially the participatory artworks from the collaboration with the Marca Corona employees: an installation of 9 white-glazed terracotta bas reliefs with gold leaf inserts representing a great community work of embroidery, inspired by the decorative motifs conserved in the archives of the Galleria Marca Corona corporate museum.
If you’re wondering what to see during Art City Bologna and Art City White Night 2026, this exhibition will introduce you to a leading artist on the Italian and international contemporary art scene and his works, in a special, time-limited location.
Entry and visits to the exhibition are free of charge with no booking required, with the following opening hours and procedures:
Saturday 7 February 2026, from 10 am to midnight
Sunday 8 February. The complete official programme for the 3rd and final day of Marca Corona per l’Arte events for Art City Bologna 2026
Continuing our overview of the complete Marca Corona per l’Arte official programme during the Art City Bologna 2026 weekend, we come to the 3rd day of the event.
Sunday 8 February is the last chance to view the Pino Deodato exhibition “ricAMARE. Il ricamo è un gesto d’amore” [“RicAMARE. Embroidery is an act of love”], curated by Beatrice Audrito and in association with Galleria Susanna Orlando, Pietrasanta.
After its appearance at Art City the exhibition will close and it will not be visible again in Italy in this presentation and version.
As on the previous days, entry on Sunday is free of charge with no booking required.
So be sure not to miss your chance:
Sunday 8 February 2026, from 10 am to 8 pm
We look forward to seeing you at Art City 2026 Bologna! Put all the events in your diary and come and experience our happenings:
Marca Corona per l’Arte @ ART CITY Bologna 2026
6 – 8 February 2026, Teatro San Leonardo, via San Vitale 63, Bologna
Cantiere Futuro Conference | “Il tempo del ritrovarsi: il progetto della quotidianità” [“Time to rediscover ourselves: designing for daily life”]
6 February 2026, 9 am to 1 pm
Free entry, registration required at:
www.marcacorona.it/it/convegno-cantierefuturo/
Provides entitlement to 3 professional training credits (CFPs)
4th Premio Marca Corona
6 February 2026, 6 pm (invitation only)
Exhibition “ricAMARE. Il ricamo è un gesto d’amore” [“RicAMARE. Embroidery is an act of love”]
Pio Deodato, in association with Galleria Susanna Orlando, curated by Beatrice Audrito
7 February 2026: 10 am – midnight
8 February 2026: 10 am – 8 pm
Private view: 6 February, 6.30 pm
