Mario Schifano: over 100 works on display at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome

Mario Schifano on show at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome presents an extensive retrospective of Mario Schifano, gathering more than one hundred works that span his entire career. Opened in March, the exhibition follows a chronological route highlighting the artist’s key phases.

Highlights

The display includes early material and informal paintings, the celebrated monochromes of the 1960s, works tied to the pop period, and the large-format canvases produced in later decades.

Main attractions

• Dining-room polyptych: a set of fourteen large canvases painted in 1968 for an important Roman residence, featuring recurring motifs such as stars, palms and oaks.
• Monochromes and experiments: pieces that defined Schifano’s breakthrough in the 1960s.
• Large-scale works: oversized paintings that trace the artist’s chromatic and thematic development through the 1980s and 1990s.

Exhibition layout

The show is presented in chronological order, beginning with a biographical introduction supported by archival photographs and documents. Some rooms recreate the settings for which Schifano executed commissioned works, and screenings of his short films and videos enrich the visit.

Why attend

The retrospective provides a comprehensive overview of Schifano’s artistic evolution, valuable both for seasoned admirers and newcomers. It highlights the recurring motifs and stylistic shifts of one of the most significant figures in postwar Italian art.