5 exhibitions by the sea not to be missed in Italy In summer, embrace art and don't put it aside

For those working in the art world, the Italian summer is often a time when galleries close and programming is suspended, but in recent years some spaces have realized that the slow pace and the vacation geography can generate new horizons for cultural journeys, especially in the provinces. Among homes for artist residencies, secondary and tertiary locations of major galleries, and small independent galleries, we offer a few suggestions of resilient exhibition spaces that, in the height of summer, persist - reinventing the encounter between art and landscapes. It’s not just about decentralizing art towards the sea and vacation spots, but about letting it breathe in peripheral contexts. After all, the experience of Procida Capital of Culture (2022) with the work of Italics already hinted at this: perhaps the country, with its widespread dimension, can become a continuous space for art - and could be a way to tell a story of the country far from reels of slow living and people eating giant sandwiches on the beach, like in Martin Parr’s photos of Naples in 2014. Aware that even this is part of the landscape, we need to take a small step forward.

Aeolian Islands - Kai Althoff at Studio Casoli

If we think of a mystical place in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea that has shaped the dreams and imagery of many international directors (ever seen Rossellini’s Stromboli, with Ingrid Bergman?), the Aeolian Islands are an essential stop on the Italian summer map. In Filicudi, one of the seven main islands of the archipelago, besides the black sand, we find Studio Casoli, a venue founded by Sergio Casoli on the island in 2022. Casoli is an Italian gallerist who began forming a strong connection with the island in 2001, first by acquiring the Hotel Sirena complex together with Maurizio Cattelan, and later by opening a gallery-studio that also hosts artist residencies -  from July 28 to September 12, it will feature Kai Althoff.

Albisola - Mattoncino

Let’s jump to the Ligurian coast for Mattoncino, the exhibition by Liliana Moro in Albisola, presented by Galleria Raffaella Cortese, whose main headquarters is in Milan. Since 2022, this small twelve-square-meter satellite space has hosted two exhibitions a year, in collaboration with the artists' galleries and often with site-specific works. In this case, Mattoncino reflects on the transformation of matter as a natural process: a fragile organism in a display case that invites the viewer to slow down, observe, and establish a silent dialogue with the space.

Praiano - Marea Art Project

Further south, the Amalfi Coast welcomes the Marea Art Project, a nomadic curatorial initiative that unfolds between Praiano and Positano - places that are finally becoming sites of production, rather than just backdrops for wealthy collectors and international gallerists showing off their trophies to summer guests. It is not a traditional exhibition space, but an evolving context that combines events, residencies, and encounters, where art engages with the territory without imposing external logic. The works created by those who pass through take on the form of the places hosting them, embracing irregularities like the vernacular constructions described by Rudofsky — born out of necessity, yet full of grace.

Orani - Nathalie Du Pasquier at Fondazione Nivola

In the heart of Sardinia, specifically in Orani, we find a foundation that has been getting a lot of attention - and attracting many cultural tourists eager to explore the Sardinian hinterland: the Fondazione Nivola, which is hosting until September 14 an unmissable retrospective of the French artist - though emotionally and intellectually rooted in Italy - Nathalie Du Pasquier. The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in her vast and eclectic output, setting her works and her strongly identifiable palette - a signature of her poetics and of the Memphis Group, of which she was a founding member - in dialogue. The whole installation is conceived as a visual melody capable of enveloping the viewer.

Pozzuoli - Panorama

Finally, a highly anticipated event that will once again shine a spotlight on Naples and its province thanks to the cultural initiatives it knows how to generate: Panorama. The project, promoted by Italics since 2020, this time arrives in Pozzuoli for four days in September. A journey through mythology and the contemporary, the sacred and the profane, to rediscover hidden places in our country through the eyes of international artists. Curated by Chiara Parisi, the lineup includes names such as Elmgreen & Dragset, William Kentridge, Helena Hladilová, and many others. We honestly can’t wait to find ourselves there - dressed light - getting lost in these spaces.