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Nanni Valentini Returns to US with 'Interspaces' at Everson Museum

exhibition · 2026-05-01

The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, is hosting 'Interspaces', a retrospective of Italian ceramic artist Nanni Valentini (1932–1985), on view until September 6, 2026. Curated by Garth Johnson and Luca Bochicchio, with oversight by art historian Flaminio Gualdoni, the exhibition marks Valentini's return to the US after his 1958 debut at the museum's Ceramic International, where he was introduced by Lucio Fontana and won a prize. The show traces his evolution from functional ceramics to conceptual wall works, featuring pieces from the 1960s–1980s that treat clay as a language of signs and material tension. Organized in collaboration with Genoese gallery ABC-ARTE, the project will continue in Italy in 2027 between Savona and Albisola. Everson director Elizabeth Dunbar emphasized the museum's historic role in advancing ceramic art.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Interspaces' runs until September 6, 2026 at Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York.
  • Nanni Valentini (1932–1985) was a pioneering Italian ceramic artist from Sant'Angelo in Vado.
  • Curators: Garth Johnson (Everson) and Luca Bochicchio (Museo della Ceramica di Savona); advisor Flaminio Gualdoni.
  • Valentini first exhibited at Everson's Ceramic International in 1958, introduced by Lucio Fontana.
  • His work evolved from functional pottery to conceptual wall pieces using vitrified terracotta.
  • The exhibition includes series like 'Trasparenza' and works such as 'I segni della terra' (1981).
  • Collaboration with ABC-ARTE gallery; a sequel exhibition is planned for 2027 in Savona and Albisola, Italy.
  • Elizabeth Dunbar, Everson's Director and CEO, highlighted the museum's legacy in supporting ceramic innovation.

Entities

Artists

  • Nanni Valentini
  • Lucio Fontana
  • Flaminio Gualdoni

Institutions

  • Everson Museum of Art
  • Museo della Ceramica di Savona
  • ABC-ARTE
  • Istituto d'Arte per la Ceramica di Faenza
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Museum of Fine Arts Boston
  • Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Detroit Institute of Arts

Locations

  • Syracuse
  • New York
  • United States
  • Sant'Angelo in Vado
  • Vimercate
  • Savona
  • Albisola
  • Italy

Sources