Michael E. Smith - C C

On Friday, January 30, 2026, "C C" – solo exhibition by Michael E. Smith opens at Palazzo Bentivoglio in Bologna. The exhibition, curated by Simone Menegoi and Tommaso Pasquali, will remain open until Sunday, April 26.

Michael E. Smith is one of the most radical and influential contemporary American artists of his generation. His works, created with found materials, industrial scraps, and reclaimed objects, form installations with strong emotional impact, where elements referencing everyday life appear both fragile and threatening.

For over twenty years, Smith’s practice has redefined the boundaries of sculpture and installation, moving between minimalism and residue, between absence and presence. Each exhibition is conceived as a unique experience, where objects, architecture, and light work in unison, transforming the space into a living body. A process that begins with emptiness, silence, and anticipation to create a tension that imbues every tiny element with meaning.

In this project, his research engages with an architecturally rich historical context: the basements of Palazzo Bentivoglio, a complex weave of signs and transformations, become a new ground for exploration in his practice.