L'Aquila art exhibitions see major updates and extensions

Major art exhibitions in L'Aquila are reaching significant milestones as part of the city's preparations for its role as the Italian Capital of Culture 2026.

The Ai Weiwei exhibition at MAXXI L'Aquila is scheduled to conclude on September 6 after four months. The showcase features approximately seventy works, including photography from 1980s New York and sculptures created in Ukraine in 2025. A central piece, ‘Straight’, serves as a monument to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, creating a thematic dialogue with the history of L'Aquila and its own 2009 earthquake recovery.

Additionally, the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo has announced an extension for the loan of Raphael’s ‘The Visitation’. Originally scheduled to close on September 27, the Museo Nacional del Prado has granted an extension until November 3. The exhibition, which has already seen over 33,000 visitors, will feature a special setup designed to recreate the original intimacy of the masterpiece and a series of thematic meetings with curators starting September 28.