Miles Davis 100: the “Listen to This!” exhibition at Villa Cattaneo in

Miles Davis 100: the “Listen to This!” exhibition at Villa Cattaneo in Pordenone

The Municipality of Pordenone, together with the Jazzinsieme Festival, launches “MILES DAVIS 100 – LISTEN TO THIS!”, a multimedia exhibition marking the centenary of Miles Davis. Hosted at the historic Villa Cattaneo, the show combines visual installations, archival documents and a technical platform designed for immersive listening to Davis’s work.

Curated by Enrico Merlin and produced with support from international institutions and the Davis family, the exhibition moves beyond a chronological narrative to explore eight thematic areas that trace Davis’s artistic and cultural transformations.

• Objects and archives: more than 300 audio formats, original photographs (including works by Anthony Barboza), contracts and private letters; the exhibition features Davis’s original trumpet on loan from collector Don Hicks.
• Listen to This! – tech hub: an interactive database granting access to over 2,000 official recordings via high-fidelity listening stations.
• Public program: weekly talks, guided listening sessions and contributions from national and international guests to highlight Davis’s ties with Italy and the broader musical landscape.
• Collaborations: American Jazz Museum (Kansas City), House of Miles (East St. Louis) and support from the Davis family.

The exhibition is part of Pordenone’s cultural strategy in the run-up to its bid as Italian Capital of Culture 2027 and showcases Villa Cattaneo’s evolution toward the Polo del Futuro Musicale (PFM), emphasizing youth engagement and sonic experimentation.

Organizers describe the project as «not a nostalgic tribute but a space for listening», aimed at revealing the ongoing influence of Miles Davis on contemporary musical imagination.