Metaformismo Action©

Metaformismo Action©: at Galata, a project between art, thought and action

On Thursday 30 April at 4:00 pm, the Galata Museo del Mare will open Metaformismo Action©, a project conceived and curated by art historian and critic Giulia Sillato, on view until 30 June 2026.

Promoted by the Fondazione Giulia Sillato together with the Istituzione Musei del Mare e delle Migrazioni, the initiative takes shape as a journey that weaves together theoretical reflection and exhibition experience, offering visitors a new way of approaching contemporary non-figurative painting.

The opening event, hosted in the Museum’s Auditorium, is not simply a formal launch but an entry point into the core of the project: a critical introduction to Metaformismo, tracing its origins, development and theoretical foundations. At the centre of this vision lies the concept of form, understood as the essential principle through which an artwork can be recognised. No longer merely a compositional element, but a structure capable of conveying meaning, identity and legibility even within non-figurative art.

During the event, the monograph “Metaformismo. The onticity of form in non-figurative art”, featuring an essay by Stefano Zecchi, will also be presented. The publication is the result of extensive interdisciplinary research spanning art, philosophy, literature and science, offering a wide-ranging interpretation of the role of form in the history of thought and artistic production.

Building on this theoretical foundation, the project unfolds into its exhibition and performative dimension with Metaformismo Action©, where reflection becomes practice. Seven leading figures of contemporary Italian art — Enzo Devastato, Emilio Belotti, Sebastian Centi, Cristiana Grandolfo, Giulio Cavanna, Rosetta D’Alessandro and Massimo Fumanti — are invited to interpret and develop the principles of Metaformismo through artworks and installations.

The exhibition stands out for its dynamic approach: the works, often conceived as environmental or site-responsive interventions, move beyond the static dimension of painting towards a logic of action. Visitors are drawn into an immersive, almost theatrical experience, where the exhibition space itself becomes an integral part of the artistic language.

The project continues with a focus on the individual artists involved, prominent figures on the Italian contemporary scene, presented as interpreters of a research path rooted in the second half of the twentieth century and evolving today in a distinctly current and experimental direction.

Visitor information
📍 Galata Museo del Mare – Auditorium
📅 30 April – 30 June 2026
🕓 Opening event: Thursday 30 April 2026, 4:00 pm

From 1 May to 30 June 2026, the exhibition will be included in the museum admission ticket.