The best exhibitions of 2024 according to the expert jury of Finestre Sull'Arte

As per tradition, on the last day of the year Finestre Sull’Arte publishes the ranking of the best Italian exhibitions of the year just ended. This year, for the ranking of the best exhibitions of 2024 in Italy, there are two important novelties: we have decided to give two awards, the best exhibition of ancient or modern art and the best exhibition of contemporary art, and above all, we have entrusted the task to a quality jury composed of more than 100 insiders (journalists, art historians, critics, curators, artists, museum directors, gallery owners, antiquarians, press offices). The list of all jurors is published at the end of this article.

The editorial staff of Finestre Sull’Arte initially selected a shortlist of 40 nominees, chosen from among the most interesting exhibitions of the year, 20 for ancient art and 20 for contemporary art, and each juror was asked to express his or her opinion by rating the exhibitions visited on a scale of 1 to 10. The ranking was then drawn up using a system marked by maximum balance, taking into account both the average score obtained and the interest aroused by the exhibition by measuring it in terms of visits obtained, while making sure that there was harmony between the average vote and the number of visits. Each exhibition in the “top 10” ranking was still visited by at least 30 percent of the jurors. Each juror could only comment on the exhibitions visited and those for which he or she did not work or collaborate.

In addition, the editors of Finestre Sull’Arte decided, in order to keep alive the past tradition whereby it was the editors themselves who chose the exhibitions they thought were most interesting, to award two special mentions, completely unrelated to the jury vote. The mentions were awarded to The Sixteenth Century in Ferrara. Mazzolino, Ortolano, Garofalo, Dosso (curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and Michele Danieli, in Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, from Oct. 12, 2024 to Feb. 16, 2025), judged as the best ancient or modern art exhibition of 2024 in Italy according to the editorial staff of the publication, and ex aequo to Pierre Huyghe. Liminal (curated by Anne Stenne, in Venice, Punta della Dogana, from March 17 to November 24, 2024) and Julien Creuzet. Attila cataracte ta source aux pieds des pitons verts finira dans la grande mer..., France’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale (curated by Céline Kopp and Cindy Sissokho, Venice, Giardini della Biennale, April 20 to November 24, 2024), judged as the best contemporary art exhibitions of 2024 in Italy according to the editorial staff of the paper.

Instead, below we publish the two rankings, in order from tenth to first position.

Ancient and modern art

10. Picasso the Stranger (curated by Annie Cohen-Solal; Milan, Palazzo Reale, September 20, 2024 to February 2, 2025)

9. Vasari. The Theater of Virtues (curated by Cristina Acidini; Arezzo, Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Oct. 30, 2024 to Feb. 2, 2025)

8. Helen Frankenthaler. Painting Without Rules (curated by Douglas Dreishpoon; Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, September 27, 2024 to January 26, 2025)

7. Painting and Poetry in the Seventeenth Century. Giovan Battista Marino and the Marvelous Passion (curated by Andrea Zezza, Patrizia Tosini and Emilio Russo; Rome, Galleria Borghese, Nov. 19, 2024 to Feb. 9, 2025)

6. Empoli 1424. Masolino and the Dawn of the Renaissance (curated by Andrea De Marchi, Silvia De Luca and Francesco Suppa; Empoli, Museo della Collegiata and Church of Santo Stefano, April 6 to July 7, 2024)

5. Jean Tinguely (curated by Vicente Todolí, Lucia Pesapane, Fiammetta Griccioli and Camille Morineau; Milan, Pirelli HangarBicocca, October 10, 2024 to February 2, 2025)

4. Guercino. The Ludovisi Era (curated by Raffaella Morselli and Caterina Volpi; Rome, Scuderie del Quirinale, Oct. 31, 2024 to Jan. 26, 2025)

3. Pino Pascali (curated by Mark Godfrey; Milan, Fondazione Prada, March 28 to September 23, 2024)

2. Preraffaelites. Modern Renaissance (curated by Elizabeth Prettejohn, Peter Trippi, Cristina Acidini and Francesco Parisi; Forlì, Musei San Domenico, Feb. 24 to June 30, 2024)

1. Federico Barocci Urbino. The Excitement of Modern Painting (curated by Luigi Gallo and Anna Maria Ambrosini Massari with Luca Baroni and Giovanni Russo; Urbino, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, June 2024 to October 6, 2024). Best exhibition of ancient or modern art in Italy in 2024 according to the quality jury of Finestre sull’Arte.

Contemporary Art.

10. Cyprien Gaillard. Retinal Rivalry (curated by Samuele Piazza; Turin, OGR, October 30, 2024 to February 2, 2025)

9. Marina Abramović. Between Breath and Fire (curated by Karol Winiarczyk; Bergamo, Gres Art, Sept. 14 to Feb. 1, 2025)

8. Louis Fratino. Satura (curated by Stefano Collicelli Cagol; Prato, Centro Pecci, from Sept. 26, 2024 to Feb. 2, 2025)

7. Wael Shawky. I Am Hymns of the New Temples. (curated by Massimo Osanna, Andrea Viliani and Gabriel Zuchtriegel; Venice, Palazzo Grimani, April 17 to June 30, 2024)

6. Bertozzi&Casoni. It is not what it seems (Fontanellato, Labirinto della Masone, September 14, 2024 to January 7, 2025)

5. Foreigners everywhere - Foreigners everywhere, international exhibition of the 60th Venice Biennale (curated by Adriano Pedrosa; Venice, Giardini and Arsenale, April 20 to November 24, 2024)

4. Open Group. Repeat after me, Poland Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (curated by Marta Czyz; Venice, Giardini della Biennale, April 20 to November 24, 2024)

3. Mark Manders. Silent Studio (curated by Bernardo Follini; Turin, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, October 31, 2024 to March 15, 2025)

2. Anselm Kiefer. Fallen Angels (curated by Arturo Galansino; Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, March 22 to July 21, 2024)

1. Pierre Huyghe. Liminal (curated by Anne Stenne; Venice, Punta della Dogana, March 17 to November 24, 2024). Best contemporary art exhibition in Italy in 2024 according to the quality jury of Finestre sull’Arte.

Jury members.

Giampaolo Abbondio, gallerist; Fabrizio Ajello , artist; Giuliana Altea, associate of History of Contemporary Art, University of Sassari; Francesca Antonacci, gallerist; Giulia Aurigemma, ordinary of History of Modern Art, University of Chieti; Susanna Bagnoli , journalist, press office Fondazione Pisa; Francesca Banchelli , artist; Ilaria Baratta, journalist, editor-in-chief Finestre sull’Arte; Giorgio Baratti, antiquarian; Laura Barreca, art critic and historian, director Museo Civico di Castelbuono; Valentina Bernabei, journalist; Luca Bertolo , artist; Donatella Biagi Maino, associate of Museology, University of Bologna; Andrea Bianconi, artist; Nicola Bolla, artist; Paolo Bolpagni, art historian, director Fondazione Ragghianti; Maria Bonmassar, journalist, press office Maria Bonmassar; Stefano Brachetti, director Rocca di Gradara; Sergio Campagnolo, journalist, founder and press office director Studio Esseci; Caterina Caputo, art historian; Daniela Caracciolo, art historian, researcher University of Salento; Massimiliano Caretto, antiquarian; Maurizio Cecchetti, journalist; Fulvio Cervini, professor of Medieval Art History, University of Florence; Tristana Chinni, journalist; Michele Chiossi, artist; Paolo Coen, professor of Museology, University of Teramo; Vittoria Coen, art historian, lecturer Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata; Floriana Conte, art historian, associate of History of Modern Art, University of Foggia; Milena Cordioli, art historian, lecturer Accademia di Belle Arti Santa Giulia; Giorgio Dellacasa, art historian; Luisa Derosa, art historian, researcher University of Foggia; Pietro Di Loreto, journalist, director Aboutartonline; Pietro Di Natale , art historian, director Ferrara Arte Foundation; Alberto Fabbiano, journalist, press office Lara Facco; Vincenzo Farinella, art historian, professor History of Modern Art, University of Pisa; Fabrizio Federici, art historian, researcher, University of Florence; Marco Ferri, journalist; Ada Patrizia Fiorillo, associate professor of History of Contemporary Art, University of Ferrara; Andrea Fontanari, artist; Sabino Frassà, curator, head of Cramum Prize; Pietro Gaglianò, curator, art critic; Cristina Galassi, art historian, director of the School of Specialization in Historical Artistic Heritage, University of Perugia; Giorgia Gastaldon, art critic, researcher University of Insubria; Ilaria Gianni, curator, founder of Iuno - research center for contemporary art; Federico Giannini, journalist, editor in chief Finestre sull’Arte; Alessandra Giannotti, associate of History of Modern Art, University of Siena; Francesca Anita Gigli, journalist, content creator; Massimo Guastella, associate of History of Contemporary Art, University of Salento; Axel Hémery , director Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena; Marco Horak , art historian; Laura Iamurri, professor of History of Contemporary Art, University Roma Tre; Antonio Iommelli, director Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese, Piacenza; Kamilia Kard, artist; Stefano L’Occaso, director Palazzo Ducale, Mantua; Antonio Lampis, director culture sector Autonomous Province of Bolzano, former general director museums MiBACT; Gabriele Landi, artist; Damiano Lapiccirella, gallery owner; Angelo Loda, art historian official, Soprintendenza of Brescia; Teresa Macrì, art critic, curator, professor Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome; Tiziana Maffei , director Reggia di Caserta, advisor ICOM Italy; Simona Maggiorelli, journalist, director Left; Elena Magini, curator, research department coordinator Centro Pecci Prato; Patrizia Mania, art critic, associate of History of Contemporary Art, University of Tuscia; Pietro Cesare Marani, art historian; Lucilla Meloni, art critic, lecturer History of Contemporary Art, Academy of Fine Arts of Rome; Mauro Minardi, art historian; Raffaella Morselli, professor of History of Modern Art, University of Rome La Sapienza; Francesco Occhinegro, antiquarian; Marinella Paderni, curator, professor History of Contemporary Art, Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna; Daniele Panucci, curator, researcher University of Genoa; Caterina Paparello, art historian, researcher University Ca’ Foscari Venezia; Marta Paraventi , journalist, art historian, lecturer Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata; Clarice Pecori Giraldi, art advisor, advisor Gruppo Apollo; Emanuele Pellegrini , professor of History of Art, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca; Simone Pellegrini , artist; Beatrice Peria, art historian, lecturer Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma; Eva Perini, entrepreneur, president Sentiment of Beauty odv; Ludovico Pratesi , curator, art critic; Carlo Pratis, gallerist; Simone Raddi, journalist, Studio Esseci press office; Adriana Rispoli, curator; Massimiliano Rossi, professor of Museology, University of Salento; Giorgia Salerno , curator, MAR Museum Ravenna; Marta Santacatterina, journalist; Davide Sarchioni , curator; Giovanni Sassu, art historian, former director Museums of Rimini; Tiziano Scarpa, writer; Luca Siracusano, associate professor of Contemporary Art History, University of Teramo; Maria Rosa Sossai, curator, researcher; Jacopo Suggi, journalist, curator; Angelo Tartuferi, art historian; Antonello Tolve, art critic, lecturer in Art Didactics, Albertina Academy of Turin; Marco Tonelli, art critic, curator, lecturer Academy of Fine Arts Foggia; Paolo Torriti, art historian, researcher University of Siena; Patrizia Tosini, professor of History of Art, University of Roma Tre; Alessandra Troncone, curator Quadriennale di Roma 2025; Francesca Velani, director Lubec; Stefania Ventra, art historian, associate of Museology, Ca’ Foscari University Venice; Riccardo Venturi, art critic; Giulio Verago, curator; Cecilia Vicentini, art historian, researcher, E-Campus University; Eugenio Viola, art critic, curator Italian Pavilion Venice Biennale 2022; Rossella Vodret, art historian; Massimiliano Zane, cultural planner, implementation consultant PNRR Culture Veneto Region; Giulia Zanichelli, journalist; Luca Zuccala, journalist, director Artslife; Catia Zucchetti, gallery owner.

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