Contemporary Visions – Exhibitions, site-specific installations and community creativity workshops

Naples becomes a citywide laboratory of contemporary art with the second edition of Contemporary Visions, a programme dedicated to the languages of contemporary artistic expression.

From 13 April to 30 June 2026, the city hosts seven exhibition projects and fifteen artists across central and peripheral locations, creating a journey that combines experimentation, participation and the storytelling of local communities.

The programme ranges from photography exhibitions and video art to site-specific installations and sound portraits, bringing together historical memory, urban identity and contemporary artistic practices.

The result is a cultural map that encourages visitors to discover Naples from new perspectives—not only through its best-known landmarks, but also through neighbourhoods, community spaces, churches, studios and cultural centres.

The programme features nationally and internationally recognised artists, including Valeria Apicella, Vittoria Assembri, Riccardo Celano, Franz Cerami, Gian Maria Cervo, Mario Ciaramella, Francesco D’Ambrosio, Annalaura di Luggo, Angela Sara Fontanarosa, Bruce LaBruce, Eiko Maekawa, Gianluigi Maria Masucci, Anna Raimondo, Giorgio Tentolini and Nicolò Tomaini.

Events take place at a variety of locations, including the Jus Museum, the Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo, Piazza Garibaldi, puntozerovaleriaapicella, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, the Casa del Popolo of Ponticelli and the “Pio Maimone – House of Culture” Municipal Youth Centre.

This creative geography brings contemporary art beyond the traditional boundaries of the museum, connecting it with neighbourhoods, communities and urban spaces.

• Sacred Bread

Artist: Mario Ciaramella
Curator: Carla Travierso
Organisation: Officine Artistiche Vesuviane
Venue: Church of San Giovanni Battista, Corso San Giovanni a Teduccio 594
Dates: 13 April – 14 May

A site-specific exhibition that transforms the church nave into a contemporary Last Supper, reflecting on the ancient act of sharing bread. Drawings, embroidery and sculptures inspired by the Last Supper create a symbolic atmosphere connecting contemporary art with the community life of the neighbourhood.

The project includes a linocut workshop led by the artist.

• From Fragment to Vision. History as Possibility

Artists: Annalaura di Luggo, Giorgio Tentolini, Nicolò Tomaini
Curator: Alberto Mattia Martini
Venue: Jus Museum, Via Calabritto 20
Dates: 23 April – 30 May

An exhibition project combining photography, visual art and video installation to reinterpret Naples’ cultural heritage.

Historical, iconographic and mythological fragments become starting points for new forms of vision.

Highlights include the screening of the documentary We Are Art through the Eyes of Annalaura and Pluribus, an immersive multimedia installation featuring four screens.

• Virgil Calling Back Pulcinella

Artists: Bruce LaBruce, BEPBBDY, Francesco D’Ambrosio
Venue: Casa del Popolo di Ponticelli
Dates: 2 May – 2 June

This exhibition-installation reinterprets Pulcinella as a symbol of cultural and identity transformation.

Developed through a dialogue between playwright Gian Maria Cervo and queer filmmaker and photographer Bruce LaBruce, the project combines theatrical installation, visual imagery, seminars and guided tours exploring the creative process behind the work.

• Napoli Nipponica

Artist: Valeria Apicella
Venue: puntozerovaleriaapicella, Piazza Enrico de Nicola 46
Dates: 23 May – 6 June

A collective installation conceived as a travel journal, creating a symbolic bridge between Naples and Japan.

Through images, sound and performance, the work explores connections between two cultures linked by themes such as volcanoes, ritual, gesture and food.

The project also features manga artist Eiko Maekawa and sound artist Vittoria Assembri, alongside performances, talks and workshops.

• Cymatics

Artist: Gianluigi Maria Masucci
Curator: Giorgio Verzotti
Venue: Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo
Dates: 24 May – 10 June

A site-specific environmental and light installation transforming the church into a space for reflection on the sea as a place of passage, arrival and migration.

The work, Crono-ANIMA-Kairos, uses decommissioned maritime ropes as sculptural material, while light becomes a central dramaturgical element.

The exhibition is accompanied by workshops, talks and guided tours.

• Q(ee)r Codes – New Boundaries Napoli

Artist: Anna Raimondo
Venue: Portineria Garibaldi, Piazza Garibaldi
Dates: 1–30 June

A site-responsive project that transforms Piazza Garibaldi into a space for listening and observation, revealing memories, movements and queer presences that often remain invisible.

Through QR codes placed throughout the square, visitors can access a series of sound portraits created with six individuals from different backgrounds.

The project culminates in a public soundwalk that offers new relational perspectives on the square.

• City – Portrait – Community. Towards a Visual Narrative of Place

Artist: Franz Cerami
Venue: “Pio Maimone – House of Culture” Municipal Youth Centre
Dates: 11–29 June

An exhibition dedicated to the work of Franz Cerami, presenting audiovisual works and video installations that create a dialogue between contemporary art and local communities.

The project is preceded by a visual storytelling workshop for young people and teenagers, led by the artist.

The workshop programme aims to create a collective portrait of the Pianura neighbourhood through a series of nine meetings running from April to June.

• Admission

All events are free of charge.

• Contacts

Culture Department – Municipality of Naples
Telephone: +39 081 7955262
Email: cultura@comune.napoli.it