Una Boccata d'Arte

A widespread project rediscovering Italy's villages

Una Boccata d'Arte is a contemporary art project promoted by the Fondazione Elpis, chaired by Marina Nissim, in collaboration with Galleria Continua. Launched in 2020, it invites twenty Italian and international artists each year to create a site-specific work in twenty different villages, one for each Italian region. It is not a traditional exhibition, but an itinerary that crosses Italy from north to south, bringing contemporary art to places far from the beaten tourist path. By its seventh edition, the project has already involved a total of 140 villages.

Chiusa, the 2026 Trentino-Alto Adige stop

For the 2026 edition, the village chosen for Trentino-Alto Adige is Chiusa/Klausen, one of Italy's most beautiful villages, nestled in the Isarco Valley (Eisacktal) in the province of Bolzano. The project transforms the historic center, and specifically the evocative Upper Town (Oberstadt), into an open-air exhibition space where the artwork engages with the town's medieval architecture, narrow alleys, and half-timbered houses.

«Vogelrat. The Council of Birds» by Francesco Alberico

Artist Francesco Alberico presents the project «Vogelrat. The Council of Birds» for Chiusa, curated by Valerio Panella and Valentina Merz. The intervention stems from a participatory process with the village community and the Seeburg social-health facility in Bressanone: personal stories, local legends, and imaginary creatures are transformed into textile birds, arranged along the Upper Town like a symbolic colony. The result is a collective work that weaves together art, memory, and the identity of the South Tyrolean territory.

An itinerary between art, landscape, and community

As with every stop of Una Boccata d'Arte, the work is born from an artist's residency in the area: a dialogue with residents, associations, and the local tangible and intangible heritage. The goal is to activate new relationships between art, landscape, and local communities, leaving the village not just with an artwork, but with a lasting bond with contemporary art.

Information on the 2026 edition

• Dates: June 20 to October 4, 2026
• Widespread openings: June 20 and 21, 2026
• Location: Upper Town (Oberstadt) of Chiusa/Klausen, Isarco Valley
• Admission: Free
• Promoter: Fondazione Elpis

An ideal stop for those visiting South Tyrol in the summer: combine a stroll through the historic center of Chiusa with the discovery of a national-scale contemporary art project.