Ferrara Arte - Current Exhibitions in Ferrara
Gianfranco Goberti. The Magic of Painting
27 September 2025 – 06 April 2026, Castello Estense
The noble floor of the Castello Estense hosts a major retrospective dedicated to Gianfranco Goberti (1939–2023), one of the most original painters from Ferrara in the second half of the 20th century. More than forty works retrace a creative journey spanning over fifty years, from his early “New Figuration” to the distinctive optical figuration of the 1960s, culminating in his iconic canvases with mirrors, ropes, and striped armchairs exploring the relationship between reality and image.
In the 1980s and beyond, his painting focused on everyday objects such as shirts and sofas, symbols of his constant investigation into the theme of the line. Later cycles, including the one dedicated to the myth of Icarus, provide a powerful metaphor for the human condition. The exhibition also presents two rare videotapes produced for the Centro Video Arte of Palazzo dei Diamanti, highlighting Goberti’s experimental approach.
A unique opportunity to rediscover, just steps away from the places where he lived and taught, the visionary strength of an artist who reinvented painting with both rigor and lightness.
Find all information HERE
Andy Warhol. Ladies and Gentlemen
March 14 – July 19, 2026
In spring 2026, Palazzo dei Diamanti will host a major international exhibition dedicated to one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century: Andy Warhol, a true symbol of Pop Art.
Andy Warhol. Ladies and Gentlemen, on view from March 14 to July 19, 2026, revisits the groundbreaking show the artist presented in Ferrara in 1975–76, a pivotal moment in his career. Over 150 works, including acrylics, drawings, silkscreens, and Polaroids, trace Warhol’s shift from celebrity icons to vivid and powerful portraits of African American and Puerto Rican drag queens, bringing themes such as identity, representation, and image construction into the spotlight.
The exhibition is further enriched by a selection of portraits and self-portraits created between the 1960s and 1980s, offering an expansive and layered view of Warhol’s portraiture and the striking relevance of his visual language—one that anticipated many of today’s cultural and aesthetic conversations.
Find all the details HERE.
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Ferrara Arte - The Foundation
In Ferrara, important art events mean Ferrara Arte, a foundation established with the aim of holding international exhibitions in the splendid setting of the Palazzo dei Diamanti in collaboration with the Art Museums Service of the Municipality of Ferrara.
The foundation's first initiative dates back to 1991-92 when, together with the Musée Marmottan, an anthological exhibition of Giovanni Boldini was organised in Paris, followed in Ferrara by the exhibition 'Claude Monet and his friends'.
Over the years, Ferrara Arte has forged a valuable network of connections and collaborations with the world's greatest museums - from the Metropolitan in New York to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, from the Museo del Prado to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, from the Tate in London to the Bozar in Brussels and the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart - making the Palazzo dei Diamanti one of the best known and most respected excellences abroad.
Alongside the exhibitions organised at the historic building located in the so-called Quadrivio degli Angeli, Ferrara Arte has distinguished itself for initiatives aimed at enhancing the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the city and its province, and in recent years has employed its professionalism to design and realise exhibition projects in different city spaces, including the Castello Estense, Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea and Palazzo Bonacossi.
