MAXXI Rome Presents 'Tragicomica' Exhibition Exploring Italian Art Through Comic-Dramatic Lens

The MAXXI museum in Rome has opened 'Tragicomica. Prospettive sull'arte italiana dal Secondo Novecento ad oggi,' a major collective exhibition curated by Andrea Bellini and Francesco Stocchi. The show presents over 300 works by 130 artists, examining contemporary Italian art through the conceptual framework of the tragicomic—a condition blending comic and dramatic elements. The exhibition aims to provide an alternative mapping of Italian artistic production, highlighting voices and languages that have often remained at the margins of the art system. The curatorial premise draws significantly from Giorgio Agamben's 1996 book 'Categorie italiane. Studi di poetica,' which identifies comedy as a distinctive trait of Italian culture. The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive public program exploring literature, philosophy, cinema, theater, and architecture. The show addresses a notable gap in MAXXI's programming, as the museum has historically focused less on Italian visual art compared to architecture and photography. The review notes that the exhibition suffers from a lack of coherence between the two curators' differing visions—Bellini's more rigorous approach versus Stocchi's more open interpretation—resulting in a presentation that appears disjointed. Installation challenges within Zaha Hadid's complex museum architecture have led to crowded wall displays reminiscent of 19th-century salons, though notable installations by artists like Monica Bonvicini and Maurizio Cattelan stand out. The exhibition provides limited didactic support for visitors, with only a single panel and numbered map for orientation. The article compares 'Tragicomica' to a similar 2025 exhibition at Bologna's MAMbo titled 'Facile ironia,' which featured thematic sections that helped contextualize works for visitors. The broader context raises questions about whether Italian institutions predominantly present emerging artists through humorous or ironic frameworks, noting the absence of Italian artists from major international exhibitions like the 2026 Venice Biennale and Manifesta.