Palazzo Strozzi hosts ‘Broken’ exhibition on the power of sculptural fragments

Palazzo Strozzi in Florence is hosting a major exhibition titled ‘Broken. The Power of the Fragment’, running from September 25, 2026, to January 24, 2027. Organized in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the exhibition features over eighty works that explore the aesthetic, political, and symbolic significance of fragmented sculptures.

The collection spans five millennia and diverse geographies, including ancient Egypt, Etruria, Greece, Rome, Mesoamerica, Mali, Peru, and Cambodia. It includes pieces from prestigious institutions such as the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition juxtaposes historical masters like Michelangelo, Antonio Canova, and Auguste Rodin with contemporary artists including Louise Bourgeois, Huma Bhabha, and Francesco Vezzoli.

Curators Arturo Galansino, C. D. Dickerson III, and Andrew Sears examine how fragments result from iconoclasm, war, vandalism, or natural disasters, such as the 1966 Florence flood. The exhibition also features a new installation by Mark Manders in the Renaissance courtyard. Following its run in Florence, the exhibition is scheduled to move to the National Gallery of Art in Washington starting March 3, 2027.