Rome hosts exhibition on Ileana Sonnabend and contemporary art boom

The Palazzo Esposizioni in Rome is hosting the exhibition ‘Fireworks. Ileana Sonnabend and the boom of contemporary art,’ running until April 4, 2027. The showcase honors the life and influence of Ileana Sonnabend (1914–2007), a prominent collector and gallerist who played a pivotal role in the development of modern visual arts.

The exhibition features over fifty works from thirty-five different artists, including pieces from the Sonnabend Collection Foundation in New York and the Sonnabend Collection in Mantova. The collection spans various radical movements of the late twentieth century, such as Pop Art, Arte Povera, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art.

Represented artists include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Twombly, among others. The exhibition traces Sonnabend’s career through her influential galleries in Paris, Geneva, and New York, highlighting her ability to support artists before they achieved international recognition.