Artist at the GNAMC (Artist of the Year)

A year-long project

Artist at the GNAMC is the annual program of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. The initiative, promoted and organized by director Renata Cristina Mazzantini, draws inspiration from the practices of major international museum institutions: each year, a gallery at the museum—the one located at the start of the visitor route—and a full cycle of activities are entrusted to a leading figure of contemporary Italian art.

The result is not a typical temporary exhibition, but a dynamic space that lives and transforms over twelve months, weaving together exhibition, education, and debate. Visitors returning to the museum months later will find an installation that has continued to engage with the public through meetings, lectures, performances, and workshops.

The featured artists

The project began in 2024 with Emilio Isgrò, a master of erasure and a central figure in Italian visual poetry. In 2025, the baton passed to Mario Ceroli (Castel Frentano, 1938), celebrated with the monographic exhibition Ceroli Totale. For 2026, the National Gallery has chosen Marinella Senatore, one of the most authoritative voices in global participatory art.

• 2024 — Emilio Isgrò
• 2025 — Mario Ceroli, Ceroli Totale
• 2026 — Marinella Senatore

Marinella Senatore's 2026

A multidisciplinary artist, Marinella Senatore has made participation a structural element of her work: since 2012, with the School of Narrative Dance, she has involved over eight million people in more than twenty countries. At the GNAMC, the gallery dedicated to her hosts over forty works, including drawings, collages, and tapestries, marking a turning point in her research: for the first time, landscape and weaving become key pillars of her language.

The program runs from April 28 to December 31, 2026, with events designed to bring art to communities traditionally distant from cultural institutions—a choice consistent with the artist's practice, which views public space and the street as the natural settings for her work.

Location

The GNAMC is located at Viale delle Belle Arti 131, in the Flaminio district, a stone's throw from Villa Borghese and the Bioparco. The Palazzo delle Belle Arti, designed by Cesare Bazzani for the 1911 International Exposition, is a remarkable sight in its own right: its monumental staircase and large, bright halls provide the perfect backdrop for the most important Italian collection of 19th and 20th-century art.

Why visit

For those arriving in Rome with an itinerary focused solely on antiquity, Artist at the GNAMC is an opportunity to discover the capital's contemporary face. The annual format offers a practical advantage: there is no need to time your trip to a specific few-week window, as the gallery remains open for most of the year with a standard museum ticket. Those wishing to experience the project in its most vibrant state should check the official website's calendar, where performances, conversations, and workshops are announced throughout the year.

• Dedicated gallery at the start of the visitor route
• Program of meetings, lectures, performances, and workshops
• Access included in the National Gallery ticket
• Open to the general public, scholars, and students