ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

La Biennale di Venezia Revives Historic Magazine with 'Alfabeti/Alphabets' Issue After 53-Year Hiatus

publication · 2026-04-07

La Biennale di Venezia has unveiled the first issue of 'Alfabeti/Alphabets' for 2026, marking the magazine's revival after a 53-year hiatus since its last release in 1971. A launch event is scheduled for April 13 at 19:00 at Teatro Mercadante in Naples, featuring speakers Roberto Andò, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Debora Rossi. This new issue echoes the October 1951 edition and includes contributions from prominent individuals such as Gilles Kepel and Hans Ulrich Obrist. The cover showcases 'Hépérile éclaté' (1953) by Raymond Hains and Camille Bryen. Published quarterly in print, the magazine delves into various themes across disciplines. Earlier issues featured 'Diluvi prossimi venturi' (1/24) and 'Applicazioni' (4/2025). The original series ran from 1950 to 1971.

Key facts

  • La Biennale di Venezia magazine issue 1/2026 titled 'Alfabeti/Alphabets' focuses on words
  • Presentation on April 13 at Teatro Mercadante in Naples with Roberto Andò, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Debora Rossi
  • Magazine revival after 53-year hiatus, reconnecting with 1951 issue featuring Igor Stravinskij and W.H. Auden
  • Contributors include Gilles Kepel, Frédéric Bonnaud, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Paulo Mendes da Rocha
  • Cover features Raymond Hains and Camille Bryen's 'Hépérile éclaté' from 1969 Biennale exhibition
  • Published quarterly in print only, with graphic design by Tomo Tomo studio in Milan
  • Previous issues include 'Diluvi prossimi venturi' (2024) and 'Applicazioni' (2025)
  • Original magazine published 1950-1971 with Giovanni Ponti, Rodolfo Pallucchini, and Elio Zorzi

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • Teatro Mercadante
  • Teatro di Napoli – Teatro Nazionale
  • Cinémathèque française
  • Emojipedia
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Video Data Bank
  • Fototeca Arti Visive
  • Fototeca Cinema
  • Museo dei Quaderni di Scuola
  • Fondazione Antonio Presti
  • Archivio Cesare Pietroiusti
  • Coppi Barbieri
  • Fondazione Festival dei Due Mondi
  • Tomo Tomo
  • Vittorio Alfieri
  • Carlo Ferrari
  • ASAC
  • Sfeir-Semler Gallery
  • Lisson Gallery
  • Lia Rumma
  • Barakat Contemporary
  • Museo Nacional del Prado
  • Scala
  • New Picture Library
  • Summerfield Press
  • Collezione Maramotti
  • National Commission for Culture and the Arts NCCA
  • Philippine Arts in Venice PAVB
  • Archivio Storico della Biennale
  • Archivio Teatro Stabile di Torino
  • Fototeca Teatro
  • Flowers Gallery
  • Studio Ancarani
  • ZERO…
  • Isabella Bortolozzi Galerie
  • OKNO Studio
  • Bergman Center Foundation
  • Getty Images
  • Warburg Institute
  • Archivio Luciano e Maud Giaccari
  • AGF

Locations

  • Naples
  • Italy
  • Venice
  • Milan
  • Firenze
  • Chicago
  • United States
  • France
  • Albania
  • Brazil
  • Vietnam
  • Nha Trang
  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • Beijing
  • China
  • Madrid
  • Spain
  • Cairo
  • Egypt
  • Beirut
  • Lebanon
  • Seoul
  • South Korea
  • Mexico City
  • Mexico
  • São Paulo
  • Lisbon
  • Portugal
  • Athens
  • Greece
  • Warsaw
  • Poland
  • Moscow
  • Russia
  • Sydney
  • Australia
  • Toronto
  • Canada
  • Zurich
  • Switzerland

Sources

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