ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

BOOMing Contemporary Art Show 2023: Chaos and Creativity in Bologna

festival-fair · 2026-04-27

The BOOMing Contemporary Art Show, a collateral fair to Arte Fiera in Bologna, presented a deliberately chaotic and labyrinthine installation reflecting the confusion of the ultracontemporary. Held at DumBO, a former railway yard, the fair featured 26 galleries and a special section, Generation(Z), dedicated to artists under 33. The inaugural performance by Ruben Montini, who pierced his flesh with pins containing long messages, addressed queerness. Other themes included digitality, the metaverse, environmental emergency, intersectionality, and pop culture. The fair ran until February 5, 2023, and was located a 10-minute walk from MAMbo.

Key facts

  • BOOMing Contemporary Art Show is a collateral fair to Arte Fiera in Bologna.
  • The fair was held at DumBO, an ex-railway yard.
  • 26 galleries participated.
  • Generation(Z) section was dedicated to artists under 33.
  • Ruben Montini performed a piercing ritual addressing queerness.
  • Themes included digitality, metaverse, environmental emergency, intersectionality, and pop culture.
  • The fair ran until February 5, 2023.
  • DumBO is a 10-minute walk from MAMbo.

Entities

Artists

  • Shepard Fairey
  • Obey
  • Ruben Montini

Institutions

  • BOOMing Contemporary Art Show
  • Arte Fiera
  • DumBO
  • MAMbo
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Bologna
  • Italy
  • Via Camillo Casarini 19

Sources