The concluding event of ART.it – Art in Transition, an initiative by the Ministry of University and Research (PNRR) for AFAM institutions, is taking place at MAMbo in Bologna from March 27 to 29, 2026. This gathering celebrates over a year of artistic training, research, and production, serving as both a synthesis and a launchpad for future developments rather than a presentation of final results. The core focus is the interconnection between art, environmental sustainability, and digital innovation, explored through four key themes: environment, inclusion, regeneration, and technologies.
Conceived by Cristina Francucci and scientifically directed by Maria Rita Bentini, the project benefited from the support of a broad working group led by faculty members from various Italian AFAM institutions and universities. These include the Academies of Fine Arts in Bologna, Catania, and Ravenna, as well as the University of Bologna and the University of Macerata.
The program commences with an environmental installation in the museum’s foyer, conceived by students to reflect their experiences. This piece integrates video, sound, and documentary materials from a shared archive, re-elaborated with the contribution of sound artist Paola Samoggia. The outcome is an immersive and dynamic sensory environment that intertwines international residency experiences with the group’s internal dynamics, revealing an evolving and non-linear research journey.
The event continues with the world premiere at DAMSLab of the film “Precarious life” (2026) by Lucy + Jorge Orta. Created during their residency at Studio Orta Les Moulins, the film explores themes of vulnerability, community, and survival through performative actions that examine conflict and its potential resolutions. The title draws inspiration from Judith Butler’s essay, highlighting precarity as a universal and politically determined human condition. Artists and director David Bickerstaff will be present at the screening.
Beyond the exhibitions and film, the event features a public discussion on the project and its future developments. This will include the launch of the artintransition.art website, designed as a dynamic and navigable archive, and three publications documenting the work undertaken. The digital portal translates the project’s methodology into an open structure, where residencies become “islands” within an archipelago and materials—diaries, images, theoretical contributions—are organized into a network of relationships. An experimental section also integrates an artificial intelligence system conceived as a tool for cultural mediation.
These publications offer diverse perspectives on the project’s process: a general catalog reconstructs the entire initiative, featuring theoretical and artistic contributions; a second volume delves into the relationship between art and material, bridging restoration and contemporary practice; and a third, designed as a “non-book,” compiles student-produced materials in an open and modular editorial format.
