Bologna’s Christmas Art Guide: From Gursky to Guercino

Bologna’s cultural scene for Christmas 2023 spans ancient to contemporary art, photography, music, and cinema. Palazzo Albergati hosts 'Animali Fantastici,' a group show of 23 artists curated by Stefano Antonelli and Gianluca Marziani, featuring whimsical animal sculptures. Palazzo Bentivoglio presents its first ancient art exhibition, 50 works by Felice Giani (1758–1823), designed by architect Franco Raggi. Palazzo Pallavicini continues its Vivian Maier retrospective through January 2024, with 150 original prints (35 color) and a Super 8mm video. The Pinacoteca Nazionale focuses on Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, 1591–1666), including loans and his account book. Museo dell’Ottocento dedicates a retrospective to Carlotta Gargalli (1788–1840), first woman admitted to Bologna’s Academy of Fine Arts in 1804. Fondazione MAST shows Andreas Gursky’s 'Visual Spaces of Today' until January 7, 40 photographs on the Anthropocene. The Museo Internazionale Biblioteca della Musica honors singer Milva (died 2021), curated by her daughter Martina Corgnati, with archives donated to the University of Bologna. CUBO presents 'Crossing. Da Klimt a Basilé, da Sironi a Bauermeister' across its two venues, featuring 22 works from the Unipol collection. The Cinema Modernissimo, reopened after 8 years of renovation under the Cineteca di Bologna, offers a holiday film program including Disney’s 'The Sword in the Stone' and Hitchcock’s 'Spellbound.'