FORT Biennale

A biennale in the heart of an alpine fortress

The FORT Biennale is a contemporary art exhibition held biennially at the Fortezza Fortress (Festung Franzensfeste), in the municipality of Fortezza, in the province of Bolzano, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The venue is one of the most evocative in Italy: a monumental 19th-century Habsburg fortress, considered one of the most impressive military architectures in the entire Alpine region, stretching along the historic Brenner line. Its galleries, walkways, and vaulted stone halls become the stage where artists' works enter into dialogue with the history and mountain landscape of the Upper Isarco Valley.

The project and its identity

Launched in 2024, the FORT Biennale brings contemporary art to a borderland and multilingual territory, where Italian and German coexist. The project interprets the Fortress not as a simple exhibition space, but as an organism charged with memory: a place designed for control and separation that is reinterpreted as a space for openness, experimentation, and community. Each edition revolves around a strong theme, entrusted to a group of curators, and brings together Italian and international artists from different generations.

The 2026 edition: Reclaiming Collective

The second edition, scheduled from June 13 to November 8, 2026, is titled Reclaiming Collective and is curated by Hannes Egger, Andrea Lerda, and Veronika Vascotto. The exhibition, which brings together about twenty Italian and international artists, reflects on the great fractures of the present - conflicts, authoritarianism, climate crisis, rights, and the impact of digital technology - and proposes the dimension of the collective as an alternative to individualism. The exhibition is divided into four thematic chapters: Think (reflection and future scenarios), Play (large experiential and participatory installations), Dance (musical identities and the physicality of the territory), and Act (concrete actions and community practices, with the Alpine Changemaker Network platform).

The artists

The lineup includes established international artists and emerging voices, such as Dan Perjovschi, Marinella Senatore, Rebecca Moccia, Rosmarie Lukasser, Micaela Piñero, Maria Walcher, Bea Bonafini, Michael Fliri, Josèfa Ntjam, Flaminia Veronesi, Mali Weil, Barbara Gamper, and many others. The works, largely conceived for the specific context of the Fortress, range from installations to video, sculpture, and performative and participatory practices.

An experience between art and heritage

Visiting the FORT Biennale means experiencing both a contemporary art exhibition and an exceptional historical monument. The exhibition path intertwines with the permanent tour of the fortress, offering an experience that combines artistic research, the memory of the Alpine border, and the Dolomite landscape. The event is promoted by the Fortezza Fortress, a venue of the South Tyrol Provincial Museums.