From Gaudí to Picasso: the Thyssen Collection on display in Bologna

This autumn, Bologna and Barcelona will be brought even closer together thanks to an unprecedented artistic partnership. From 9 October to 29 March 2027, Palazzo Albergati, just a stone’s throw from Galleria Cavour, will host "From Gaudí to Picasso. Masterpieces from the Carmen Thyssen Collection". This is a magnificent exhibition entirely dedicated to the extraordinary artistic period which, between the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, transformed the Catalan city into one of the main centres of European modernity. Visitors will thus have the opportunity to admire over a hundred works from the Carmen Thyssen Collection, on display in our capital for the first time in history.

The title of the exhibition evokes a period marked by two pillars of art, but the exhibition goes far beyond a simple comparison between Antoni Gaudí and Pablo Picasso, exploring the work of Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Julio González and many other leading figures in Spanish art. In examining the transition from Modernism to Symbolism and from Cubism to Surrealism, the exhibition simultaneously offers an overview of the cultural, architectural and pictorial changes that have characterised Barcelona and the Mediterranean basin, demonstrating how art is capable of interpreting changes in society.

Gaudí’s role is therefore particularly significant, as 2026 marks the centenary of his death: the artist left an indelible mark on the urban landscape of the Catalan capital. Picasso’s work, on the other hand, is said to reflect a desire to depict the historical and social changes that characterised the Franco era and affected the whole of Spain at the time. The exhibition is organised by Arthemisia and is set to put Bologna in the spotlight, confirming our region’s ability to attract major cultural initiatives of international significance. For almost six months, Palazzo Albergati will thus offer the opportunity to rediscover, through the works of the Carmen Thyssen Collection, one of the most vibrant and innovative periods in European art, on an imaginary journey between the capital of Emilia and the city of Barcelona.

Ph: Pere Torné Esquius Tavolo in giardino, 1913 ca. - Olio su tela, 49x65 cm - Museu Carmen Thyssen Barcelona.
Courtesy of Arthemisia Press.