Umberto Grati – Spin Off

A tribute in the heart of the Ancona Art Gallery

From December 16, 2025, to May 4, 2026, the Francesco Podesti Civic Art Gallery in Ancona hosts «Umberto Grati – Spin Off», the exhibition that continues and relaunches the city's major tribute to one of the most beloved artists of the Marche capital. The exhibition is held in the evocative underground halls of the museum on Via Ciriaco Pizzecolli, in the very center of Ancona.

From the «widespread exhibition» to the Spin Off

The exhibition is a natural continuation of «Il tratto sensibile. Widespread exhibition of Umberto Grati», which from November 8 to December 7, 2025, animated six spaces in the historic center of Ancona — from Spazio Presente to the artist's studio, left as he had abandoned it — attracting over five thousand visitors. The «Spin Off» format ensures a longer tribute, bringing a selection of the most representative works into the city's main museum.

A dialogue between contemporary and old masters

The core of the project is the juxtaposition of Grati's canvases with the masterpieces of the Art Gallery's permanent collection: the artist's works enter into dialogue with those of Carlo Crivelli, Lorenzo Lotto, Guercino, Carlo Maratti, and Francesco Podesti, as well as some award-winning works from the Marche Prize. This close comparison highlights the sensitivity of the line and the visual culture of an artist deeply rooted in tradition yet open to contemporaneity.

Who was Umberto Grati

Painter, sculptor, illustrator, and graphic designer, Umberto Grati (Ancona, 1964 – 2024), known to all as «Umb», had a creative career spanning over forty years, collaborating with national and international publishing houses and publications — including Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa, and La Settimana Enigmistica — without ever ceasing his personal research in painting, sculpture, and illustration. Upon his passing, the city of Ancona awarded him civic merit.

An exhibition promoted by the city

The initiative is organized by the Associazione Culturale Ventottozerosei ETS, curated by Bruno Di Marino and with the artistic direction of Simona Lisi, with the support of the Municipality of Ancona and the Marche Region. The exhibition is part of the relaunch of the Podesti Art Gallery, reopened in December 2025 after years of closure, and has once again become a significant cultural hub for Ancona and the entire Marche region.