Giacomo Balla at the Mart: the Biagiotti Cigna collection

Dates: 16 May - 18 October 2026
Venue: Mart - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rovereto (TN), Italy

For the first time in Italy the Mart brings together the complete collection acquired by Laura Biagiotti: roughly 240 works that map Giacomo Balla’s artistic journey, from his divisionist beginnings and Futurist experiments to garments and applied arts highlighting the crossover between art and fashion.

Exhibition layout

• Early works: divisionist paintings that document Balla’s formative years.
• Futurist section: pieces from his experimental period, including rare "Compenetrazioni iridescenti"—early signs of abstraction in Europe.
• Fashion and applied arts: garments, embroidered waistcoats, ties, patterns and the 1930 dress made for his daughter Luce, showing Balla’s interest in total art.
• Monumental works and late portraits: emblematic items such as the studio door and late portraits that close the narrative.
• Archive material and unconventional supports: preparatory studies and objects that reveal the artist’s creative process.

Why visit

This exhibition offers a rare chance to see the Biagiotti Cigna corpus in full and to understand the links between painting, fashion and applied arts in the career of a key Futurist figure. The installation also stages a dialogue with works by Fortunato Depero, contextualising Balla within Italian avant-gardes.

Practical information

• Curators: Beatrice Avanzi and Fabio Benzi.
• Location: Mart - Corso Bettini, 43, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
• Opening hours and tickets: check the museum website for up-to-date information.