Pensieri Verticali – Exhibition by Mauro Pancheri at Forte Strino

Contemporary art enters the Great War fortress

Every summer, Forte Strino in Vermiglio, located in the Upper Val di Sole area of Trentino-Alto Adige, opens its halls to a contemporary art project that engages with the site's memory. In 2026, the spotlight turns to Mauro Pancheri with the solo exhibition "Pensieri Verticali," running from July 10 to September 20, 2026, and curated by Gabriele Lorenzoni. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM.

A journey between reality and imagination

The exhibition guides visitors along a path that shifts between reality and imagination, presence and fading. Through color and painting, the artist transforms landscapes, architecture, and objects into places of reflection, where figures continuously evolve. In dialogue with a site of profound historical significance, the works become traces of resistance and possibility, capable of bringing a delicate sense of hope back into the landscape.

Forte Strino, an exceptional venue

Built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1860 and 1861 to defend the border at Passo del Tonale, Forte Strino stands at an altitude of 1,538 meters, just a few kilometers from the center of Vermiglio. It was the first of the Austrian fortifications in the upper Vermiglio Valley and today houses a museum dedicated to the White War—the conflict fought in the high mountains during World War I—featuring relics, uniforms, weapons, and multimedia stations. Restored and reopened in 1995, the fort combines 20th-century history with a summer cultural program that includes exhibitions, performances, and guided tours.

A consolidated tradition

Mauro Pancheri's exhibition continues a well-established tradition that brings a prominent contemporary artist to Vermiglio each year. In 2025, the fort hosted "Imago Hominis" by sculptor Giorgio Conta, in collaboration with the MART of Trento and Rovereto. The Municipality of Vermiglio, through its Department of Culture, reaffirms the fort's vocation as a high-quality exhibition space where contemporary art meets mountain heritage.

An experience of art and nature

Visiting "Pensieri Verticali" means combining the discovery of contemporary art with one of the symbolic sites of Trentino's alpine memory, immersed in the landscape of the Upper Val di Sole. The exhibition is an ideal opportunity for families, art enthusiasts, and hikers looking to enrich their summer mountain vacation with a cultural experience.