NABA presents “THE WITNESS - NABA Visual Arts Exhibition”, in collaboration with Casa degli Artisti. An exhibition exploring the role of the contemporary artist as a witness to the challenges and complexities of the present, born from a shared and collaborative project vision between the two institutions, to be held in Milan from 13 to 17 May 2026 at Casa degli Artisti (Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga 89/A), one of the leading international artistic residency centres, with the patronage of Municipio 1 of the City of Milan. The exhibition is part of the NABA Public Program 2026 which, until July, presents events open to the city, including exhibitions, talks, workshops and collaborations, taking place across the Milan and Rome campuses and in various culturally and artistically significant venues at national and international level.
NABA presents “THE WITNESS”: concept and faculty involved
“THE WITNESS” brings together students and faculty from the BA in Painting and Visual Arts, the MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies, and the Academic Masters in Contemporary Art Markets, Photography and Visual Design and Art and Ecology of the Visual Arts Area at NABA’s Milan campus.
The selection of works on display has been curated by an outstanding artistic committee, composed of artists and curators, all faculty members of the Academy, including: Yuri Ancarani, Beatrice Catanzaro, Zasha Colah, Francesco Jodice, Marcello Maloberti, Simona Malvezzi, Elena Mazzi, Adrian Paci, Andrea Sala, Giovanna Silva and Patrick Tuttofuoco.
The concept behind “THE WITNESS” reflects on the condition of permanent visibility that defines our age, in which every event is recorded and shared. Within this context, the artist is not a passive observer, but an active witness who absorbs and translates the tensions of the present. Immersed in the political, social and identity-driven contradictions of their time, the artist explores and gives shape to what risks being swallowed up in the relentless flow of events, offering a critical reading of the fractures that define contemporary life.
The exhibition structures conceived by Matilde Cassani Studio (Matilde Cassani, Leonardo Gatti, Cecilia Da Pozzo) reconfigure the spaces of Casa degli Artisti, placing the display itself and the relationships between the works at the heart of the experience.
The project, curated by the Visual Arts Area of the Milan campus, with Course Leaders Andris Brinkmanis, Cristina Masturzo, Dario Pecoraro and Francesco Zanot, was coordinated by Salvatore Cristofaro (NABA alumnus) and Elvira Vannini (NABA faculty), with special thanks to Guido Tattoni (NABA Dean) and Marco Scotini (NABA Artistic Director).
NABA presents “THE WITNESS”: the collateral events
“THE WITNESS” extends beyond the exhibition space, offering a full programme of collateral events hosted by Casa degli Artisti throughout the run of the show, with curatorial focuses, performative moments and activities exploring different artistic languages and approaches developed within the Visual Arts Area.
The programme opens with the inaugural day on Wednesday 13 May, centred on the Opening at 6:30 PM, with performative interventions that will activate both the indoor and outdoor spaces of the exhibition.
14 May is given over to the Curatorial Day, a day devoted to curatorial and theoretical dialogue, opening from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM with the encounter “Biografie Immaginative”, a dialogue between six artists in residence at Casa degli Artisti and six NABA artists. In the afternoon, from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM, the Curatorial Forum will bring together alumni and students from the MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies. The day concludes from 6:30 PM with a lecture by Steven Henry Madoff (School of Visual Arts, New York).
On Friday 15 May the focus shifts to a direct encounter with the art world, through a studio visit with collectors Marta Orsola Sironi and Mauro Mattei (FRENCH PLACE, Milan), involving the exhibiting artists and students of the Academic Master in Contemporary Art Markets. Yuri Ancarani will then introduce a session dedicated to video art and video installation projects.
Saturday 16 May is given over entirely to performances by NABA students, led by artists and faculty members Gaia De Megni and Marina Cavadini.
The programme draws to a close on 17 May with a performance by Collective Artender.
NABA presents “THE WITNESS”: exhibition details and collateral events
Exhibition “THE WITNESS”
13-17 May 2026
Casa degli Artisti, Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga 89/A, Milan
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Free admission with registration on Eventbrite
“THE WITNESS”: the collateral events
Wednesday 13 May
6:30 PM - Opening with performance
Thursday 14 May
3:30 PM - Curatorial Forum: symposium with four working groups, with students from the MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies
6:30 PM - Lecture: by Steven Henry Madoff, School of Visual Arts - New York
Friday 15 May
3:30 PM - Studio Visit: with collectors Marta Orsola Sironi and Mauro Mattei (FRENCH PLACE, Milan)
Guided tours with students
6:30 PM - Video Screening: introduced by Yuri Ancarani
Saturday 16 May
6:30 PM - Performance: by artists and faculty members Gaia De Megni and Marina Cavadini with students
Sunday 17 May
11:30 AM - Closing Performance: finissage by Collective Artender