Francesco Galvagno's Elenka Collection on View at Palazzo Sant'Elia
Francesco Galvagno, heir to the Elenka ice cream empire, has put over 200 works from his private collection on display at Palazzo Sant'Elia in Palermo. The exhibition, 'Pinakothek'a', curated by Sergio Troisi and Alessandro Pinto, spans Italian art from the interwar period to contemporary works, including pieces by de Chirico, Guttuso, Isgrò, and Thomas Struth. Galvagno, a major Sicilian collector, began buying art at age 29 and now houses about 150 works in his company's offices. The show, which opened in late 2024, was entirely self-funded, with ticket proceeds going to the Fondazione Sant'Elia. Galvagno plans to transform his cultural arm Elenk'Art into a foundation to continue supporting artists and exhibitions.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Pinakothek'a' at Palazzo Sant'Elia in Palermo
- Over 200 works from Francesco Galvagno's collection of about 400
- Curated by Sergio Troisi and Alessandro Pinto
- Includes works by de Chirico, Guttuso, Isgrò, Christo, Thomas Struth
- Galvagno is heir to Elenka, a Sicilian ice cream brand exporting to 50+ countries
- He began collecting at age 29, buying from Galleria Prati
- About 150 artworks are displayed in Elenka offices
- Elenk'Art, his cultural division, is becoming a foundation
- No public funding; ticket revenue (€6) goes to Fondazione Sant'Elia
- A charity dinner for 200 was held at the palace, donating medical equipment to a Palermo hospital
Entities
Artists
- Francesco Galvagno
- Sergio Troisi
- Alessandro Pinto
- Pirandello
- Donghi
- Cagnaccio di San Pietro
- Sironi
- de Chirico
- Casorati
- Simeti
- Castellani
- Bonalumi
- Isgrò
- Kounellis
- Pascali
- Christo
- Nitsch
- Schifano
- Nunzio
- Tirelli
- Bianchi
- Bruno Caruso
- Renato Guttuso
- Piero Guccione
- Francesco De Grandi
- Andrea Di Marco
- Alessandro Bazan
- Fulvio Di Piazza
- Stefano Arienti
- Flavio Favelli
- Luca Pancrazzi
- Peter Halley
- Daniele Franzella
- Giuseppe Adamo
- Thomas Struth
- Domenico Mangano
- Per Barclay
- Regina José Galindo
- Massimo Vitali
- Mimmo Germanà
- Emilio Isgrò
- Accardi
- Sanfilippo
- Consagra
- Judice
- Giuffrida
- Peter Doig
- Antonino Galvagno
Institutions
- Palazzo Sant'Elia
- Città Metropolitana di Palermo
- Fondazione Sant'Elia
- Elenka
- Elenk'Art
- Pinakothek'a
- Galleria Prati
- Galleria dell'Arco
- Museum of Bagheria
- Artribune
Locations
- Palermo
- Sicily
- Italy
- Bagheria
- Gela
- Rome