MAXXI BVLGARI Prize

The award for young contemporary art

The MAXXI BVLGARI Prize is the accolade that the MAXXI, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, dedicates to emerging artists on the Italian scene. Established in 2018 through the collaboration between the MAXXI Foundation and the Bvlgari Foundation, the prize has become a cornerstone of the museum's collection and a vital platform for production and research for new generations. Held biennially, it invites finalist artists to create original works, which are subsequently acquired by the museum, helping to highlight the most vibrant directions in contemporary art.

The 5th edition, an all-female debut

From September 18, 2026, to February 7, 2027, the MAXXI hosts the exhibition for the fifth edition of the prize, curated by Giulia Ferracci. The three finalists—announced in Paris on October 24, 2025, at the Italian Cultural Institute—form the first entirely female shortlist in the history of the award, featuring artists born between the 1980s and 1990s. Each presents a site-specific work, conceived expressly for the spaces of the museum designed by Zaha Hadid.

The three finalists

• Chiara Bersani (San Rocco al Porto, 1984), performer, choreographer, and visual artist, investigates the concept of the "political body" through contemporary dance and experimental theater.
• Adji Dieye (Milan, 1991), active between Milan and Dakar, explores the dynamics of representation and colonial memory through photography and archival imagery.
• Margherita Moscardini (Livorno, 1981) examines the relationship between architecture, law, and citizenship, creating sculptures and spatial devices that redefine the notion of living.

How the prize works

At the end of the exhibition, an international jury—composed of members including Francesco Stocchi, Micol Forti, Adam Kleinman, Beatrix Ruf, and Rein Wolfs—will announce the winner. Their work will become a permanent part of the MAXXI Collection. Previous winners include Diego Marcon (2018), Tomaso De Luca (2020), Alessandra Ferrini (2022), and Monia Ben Hamouda (2024): a journey that has propelled many young artists onto the international stage.

At the MAXXI, in Rome's Flaminio district

The exhibition is held in the spaces of the MAXXI, at Via Guido Reni 4A, in the Flaminio district of Rome, in the Lazio region. The museum, a masterpiece of contemporary architecture designed by Zaha Hadid, is one of the Capital's most important cultural hubs and provides a setting worthy of the artistic research it promotes. Admission to the finalists' exhibition is included in the museum ticket.