Must-attend autumn exhibitions

Graphic Japan

Where: Museo Civico Archeologico
When: November 20, 2025 - April 06, 2026

The most awaited is probably Graphic Japan, the first major Italian exhibition that explores the evolution of Japanese graphics, from ukiyoe prints of the Edo period to contemporary manga and posters. Curated by Rossella Menegazzo with Eleonora Lanza, the exhibition features over 200 works, including woodcuts, books, and posters, which show how Japanese art has maintained its visual identity while constantly renewing itself.

The exhibition itinerary is divided into four thematic sections (Nature, Figures, Sign, Contemporary Japonism), tracing a chronological and thematic journey that reveals the ability of Japanese graphics to combine innovation and tradition. The works come from important Italian and Japanese institutions, such as the "Edoardo Chiossone" Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa and the Dai Nippon Foundation.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a rich program of cultural events, promoted by the Municipality of Bologna and partners such as the University of Bologna and the Cineteca di Bologna, to explore the various facets of Japanese culture. 

Visions and Faces

Where: Palazzo Pallavicini
When: October 9, 2025 - February 1, 2026

Fifty masterpieces from the Pinacoteca Malaspina in Pavia, spanning from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, arrive in Bologna for the first time. The exhibition, curated by Laura Aldovini together with Chiara Giulia Morandi and Francesca Porreca, offers an itinerary that tells the story of the evolution of portraiture and figures between the Renaissance and Neoclassicism, among official portraits, compositional studies, and little-known masterpieces. The works, many of which come from the Civic Museums of Pavia, allow visitors to observe different styles and the richness of a figurative culture that has spanned centuries of Italian art history. 

The Times Are A Changin’. The Second Vatican Council

Where: Palazzo Pepoli - Museum of the History of Bologna, Bologna

When: October 17, 2025 - January 6, 2026

The exhibition "The Times They Are A-Changin'. The Second Vatican Council. Art and Videostory Exhibition" is a visual and documentary exhibition promoted by the Foundation for Religious Sciences (FSCIRE) to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, one of the most profound and transformative events in the contemporary history of the Church.

Conceived as part of the initiatives for the 2025 Jubilee, the exhibition, curated by prof. Alberto Melloni (secretary of FSCIRE), aims to convey the meaning of a council that was able to combine tradition and openness, shaping a new language for faith, dialogue with other religions, and the relationship with modernity. The itinerary intertwines history with voices, images, and artistic expressions from an era of radical change. Works by important protagonists of the second half of the twentieth century are on display, including Lucio Fontana, Giacomo Manzù, Carla Accardi, Bruno Munari, Alberto Burri, Piero Manzoni, Mario Schifano, Jannis Kounellis, Carol Rama, Tano Festa, Emilio Isgrò, Arnaldo Pomodoro, and others.

Find out more on the Palazzo Pepoli website