Nicola Pucci at Palazzo Merulana: first stage of the 'Scuola Italiana'

Nicola Pucci at Palazzo Merulana: opening of the «Scuola Italiana» project

Where: Palazzo Merulana, Rome. When: from April 3 to July 5, 2026.

Project overview

«Scuola Italiana», curated by Gianluca Marziani, examines contemporary Italian figurative painting by establishing a conversation between historical works and current production. Palazzo Merulana provides a fitting setting for this exchange, thanks to the presence of the Elena and Claudio Cerasi Collection, which houses notable works of early 20th-century Italian painting.

About Nicola Pucci

Nicola Pucci, a Palermo-born painter, is known for a visionary realism that blends dreamlike scenarios, animal figures and decontextualized scenes. His canvases pair figurative technique with surreal atmospheres, proposing a renewed form of Magic Realism that engages with Italian painting traditions.

Highlights of the exhibition

The show presents nineteen paintings exploring recurring motifs in Pucci’s work:

• pieces from his aeroplane series, where animals appear in unexpected settings;
• works focusing on human-animal relationships, with symbolic and fairy-tale echoes;
• canvases evoking metaphysical atmospheres and references to historical Italian painting.

The selection includes a 2026 work that evokes compositional and atmospheric affinities with Italy’s metaphysical tradition.

Dialogue with the Cerasi Collection

The exhibition encourages visitors to consider the interplay between contemporary languages and the historical works held by the Cerasi Collection, highlighting continuity and shifts in Italian painting. The curatorial aim is to reveal how memory and experimentation intersect in present-day pictorial practices.

Practical information

Check Palazzo Merulana’s official schedule for opening times, guided tours and related events. This exhibition is the first stop in a multi-phase project designed to map contemporary interpreters of Italian painting.