Expositiva Art Show Prize

The Expositiva Art Show Prize, jointly organized by Expositiva APS – Association for the Promotion of Culture and Art and the Museo MAiO – Museum of Art in Hostage and Visionary Graphics, was held from 20 June to 5 July 2026 at the Museo MAiO in Milan, Italy. Bringing together outstanding artists from around the world, the exhibition presented the richness and vitality of contemporary artistic practice through an open, diverse, and innovative perspective, highlighting the multiple expressions of contemporary art within today's global cultural landscape.

The Expositiva Art Show Prize was established to celebrate the boundless creative power of art while providing a platform for artists from different cultural backgrounds and artistic traditions to engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange. Within this shared space, diverse artistic languages, ideas, and perspectives intersect and interact, allowing art to become a powerful bridge between creators and audiences. The exhibition invited visitors to immerse themselves in a world shaped by form, color, concept, and material, rediscovering the significance of creativity through the experience of viewing and participation.

Freedom lies at the very heart of artistic practice. Intuition, exploration, and the willingness to experiment have always been the driving forces behind artistic creation. It is upon these principles that the Expositiva Art Show Prize was founded, recognizing contemporary art as a catalyst for new ideas, new perspectives, and new possibilities. Without imposing a predetermined theme, the exhibition encouraged artists to freely employ images, materials, concepts, and media to articulate their individual artistic visions. Each work not only embodied the artist's personal understanding of the world but also created opportunities for audiences to establish meaningful emotional and intellectual connections with contemporary art.

The exhibition was hosted by the Museo MAiO, located in Cassina de' Pecchi, within the metropolitan area of Milan. As an important cultural institution with a rich historical background, the museum is dedicated to the preservation, research, and promotion of contemporary art and cultural heritage. Its unique historical atmosphere provides an inspiring environment in which contemporary artworks engage in an ongoing dialogue with history, memory, and cultural identity.

Following a rigorous selection process, 44 international artists were shortlisted for the 2026 Expositiva Art Show Prize: Ada Nori, Adele Filomena, Agnieszka Mazek, Alessandra Dieffe, Alessandro Botti, Anna Bernasconi, Antonella Comitangelo, Barret Evans, Bohao Wang, Daniela Melzig, Dario Battaglio, Fabio Favaro, Francesca Guetta, Francesca Tosi, Francesco Cassanelli, Franco Zucchella, G. Joia & Opticalemotions, Gabriele Buratti, Gianni Stangherlin, Grazia Barbieri, Igor Grigoletto, Isabella Yee-Nor Sun, Jianli Geng, Jianping Chen, Lisa Angelino, Lisa Yachia, Lorena Isabellon, Luciana Casatti, Maddalena Denegri, Maria Aloi, Maria Iovona, Maria Lucia Cancellara, Massimo De Santis, Monica Fossati, Patrizia Vangelisti, Pierpaolo Mancinelli, Sabrina Cerutti, Tiziana Vitali, Xiang Huang, Xiaonan Geng, Xin Liao, Yang Li, Yiteng Liu, and Yuange Sheng.

Among the finalists, ten Chinese artists—Chen Jianping, Geng Jianli, Geng Xiaonan, Huang Xiang, Isabella Yee-Nor Sun, Liao Xin, Liu Yiteng, Sheng Yuange, Wang Bohao, and Yang Li—deserve special recognition. Through painting, installation, mixed media, and interdisciplinary artistic practices, they presented innovative explorations and diverse expressions of contemporary art across different cultural contexts, making a significant contribution to the exhibition's international dialogue and cross-cultural exchange.