ENSEMBLE _2026: Biennial observatory on emerging painting

Fondazione THE BANK ETS in Bassano del Grappa hosts ENSEMBLE _2026 from 24 May to 30 September 2026. This inaugural biennial project highlights one hundred under-40 painters active across Italy, focusing on how painting engages with installation, video art and performance, and on the dialogue between figuration and abstraction.

Practical information

• Dates: 24/05/2026 - 30/09/2026
• Venue: Fondazione THE BANK ETS, Bassano del Grappa (VI)
• Entrance: free
• Visiting hours: open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 16:00 to 19:00; visits also by appointment. Summer closure from 20 July to 6 September inclusive.
• Opening event: Saturday 23 May at 18:00
• Contacts: +39 335 7180804, [email protected]

Curatorial note

Curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, the exhibition functions as an observatory to trace the evolving languages of contemporary painting in Italy. The title evokes the collective: like a musical ensemble, individual works converge to produce a cohesive visual experience where collective resonance matters more than single virtuosity.

What to expect

The show presents painting both as an object and as a practice that redefines traditional genres — portrait, landscape, still life — while incorporating visual influences from literature, dance, cinema and digital animation. The installation seeks to offer a chorus of perspectives that together map an intimate geography of Italy's artistic scene.

Who should attend

ENSEMBLE _2026 is recommended for curators, critics, collectors, students and anyone interested in current developments in Italian painting. It provides a broad and contemporary overview of the field through the work of emergent practitioners.