Bracciano, an open-air art gallery: the first Bracciano Art Week begins

From 14 to 18 May 2025, the ancient heart of Bracciano becomes a stage for creativity and experimentation with the first edition of BAW – Bracciano Art Week, a cultural event that combines visual and digital arts, cinema, music and literature in a choral celebration of the contemporary. The theme chosen for this inaugural edition, Contemporary Bloom, is a tribute to the blossoming of contemporary art, an invitation to reflect on the present through installations, performances and meetings scattered throughout the historic center.

An immersive journey in the heart of Bracciano

BAW aims to transform Bracciano into a widespread gallery, capable of blending its historical heritage with innovative artistic languages. The locations involved range from the Palazzo Comunale to the Santa Maria Novella Complex, from the Church of the Visitation to the Giardino del Lago, up to the “Delia Scala” Theater and the Renaissance Walls. Known and hidden spaces become the stage for site-specific installations, multimedia works, sculptures and sound performances.

Over 40 artists in dialogue with the city

Under the artistic direction of Maria Ludmila Pustka (visual arts) and Massimiliano Ionta (digital arts), more than 40 Italian and international artists present works that dialogue with the urban space. Among them, B.Zarro proposes visual provocations with a strong social and spiritual impact, while Anita Genca tells the story of female resilience through pop surrealist painting. Carmine Leta celebrates the union of opposites with iron sculptures, Chiara Anaclio merges real and virtual in visual stories inspired by Mannerism, and Peter Flaccus experiments with encaustic in large abstract compositions inspired by nature.

Also noteworthy are the immersive installations of The Astronut, which combines augmented reality and ecology, the interactive sound project Void Cube by Emiliano Zucchini, and the sculptural work Barosphere_1 by German Maix Mayer, the result of his residency at the German Academy of Rome Villa Massimo.

Side events: cinema, music and words

Alongside the exhibition itinerary, five thematic reviews enrich the experience:

Fioritura di Visioni, curated by director Rosa Russo, offers short films and documentaries that explore new narratives between reality and imagination.

Bracciano Film and Arts, curated by Michele Princigalli, offers a selection of contemporary films, video clips and fiction from around the world.

Florilegium Musicae, curated by Monica Limongelli, spans seven centuries of music, from the fourteenth century to the present.

Parole in Mostra, the editorial review curated by Anna Ramella, hosts the writers Cecilia Sodano, Daria Sanminiatielli and Lavinia Roncoroni.

Territorio in tesi, with the works of the students of NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, presents projects of urban regeneration and social reflection.

A commitment to sustainability

BAW has asked all artists to adopt sustainability criteria both in materials and installations, promoting low environmental impact solutions. This commitment is also shared by the initiative's partners, Polenghi Spinagallo and Futura Gardening.

All BAW events are free and open to the public. The full program, event map and other information are available on the official website: www.braccianoartweek.com