Sonnabend Collection Mantova
Palazzo della Ragione, Mantua 
from 29th November 2025
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curated by Mario Codognato
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On Saturday, November 29, in the renovated Palazzo della Ragione, the Sonnabend Collection Mantova opens—an extraordinary collection by gallerist Ileana Sonnabend, who transformed the international art scene by bridging America and Europe. This new contemporary art museum will house one of the most important private collections of the 20th century, exhibited in the heart of Mantua.
The Sonnabend Collection, developed through the vision of the influential art dealer Ileana Sonnabend (1914–2007), her husband Michael Sonnabend (1900–2001), and their adopted son Antonio Homem, is one of the most significant testimonies to the key artistic movements of the latter half of the 20th century. Through their galleries in Paris and New York, the Sonnabends were instrumental in bringing American art to Europe and European artists to the U.S. Art has always transcended political and cultural borders and remains one of the most powerful tools for understanding our time—now more than ever, a necessity and an urgency.
The project is an initiative of the Municipality of Mantua in partnership with the Sonnabend Collection Foundation and Marsilio Arte.
“We are proud to announce the opening of Sonnabend Collection Mantova, a project of extraordinary cultural significance developed with commitment and foresight together with the Municipality of Mantua. For the first time, the Sonnabend Collection will be presented in a dedicated venue, offering the public a unique opportunity to admire an exceptional artistic heritage in a prestigious historical setting that reflects the city's tradition and identity. This is a significant milestone for Marsilio Arte as well, reaffirming our commitment to the promotion of national and international contemporary art, and strengthening relationships between institutions, artists, and the public. With this project, Mantua becomes an essential destination for anyone wishing to explore and appreciate the great protagonists of Pop Art and the most influential artists of the 20th century.”
Luca De Michelis, CEO of Marsilio Arte and Marsilio Editori
Developed across eleven rooms, the exhibition traces Ileana Sonnabend’s visionary journey and deep interest in supporting the work of artists and movements that have shaped visual culture amid the major historical and geopolitical changes of our time.
Iconic masterpieces of American art such as Figure 8 by Jasper Johns (1958), Little Aloha by Roy Lichtenstein (1962), Campbell’s Soup by Andy Warhol (1962), and Kite by Robert Rauschenberg (which won the Golden Lion at the 1964 Venice Biennale) will be presented alongside seminal works of Pop Art by Jim Dine, James Rosenquist, and Tom Wesselmann, and Italian contemporaries such as Michelangelo Pistoletto and Mario Schifano.
The journey continues with key works from major movements of the 1960s and 70s, such as Minimalism with Donald Judd and Robert Morris, and the revolutionary developments in sculpture by Bruce Nauman and Richard Serra. The Arte Povera movement, first introduced to New York by Sonnabend, is represented by major figures including Giovanni Anselmo, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Giulio Paolini, and Gilberto Zorio.
Sonnabend’s strong interest in photography and performance is reflected in her collaborations with artists across generations—from Bernd & Hilla Becher to Luigi Ontani, Vito Acconci, Gilbert & George, Candida Höfer, and Matthias Schaller.
German painting of the 1980s with Jörg Immendorff, Anselm Kiefer, and A.R. Penck, along with contemporary American works by Jeff Koons and Haim Steinbach, crown this extraordinary artistic journey.
Press Contacts
Babel Agency | press@babelagency.it
Maddalena Cazzaniga | maddalena@babelagency.it – +39 347 0000159
Francesca Tablino | francesca@babelagency.it – +39 333 479 9195
Margherita Comporti | margherita@babelagency.it – +39 347 3973040
Martina Conforti | martina.conforti@babelagency.it – +39 380 1069146
Marsilio Arte | ufficio.stampa@marsilioarte.it
Giovanna Ambrosano | g.ambrosano@marsilioarte.it – +39 338 4546387
Chiara Pellizzaro | c.pellizzaro@marsilioeditori.it
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