The renowned British artist duo arrives at the Palazzo della Ragione in Mantua with a spotlight exhibition showcasing eight key works from their oeuvre. The Sonnabend Collection is also updating its permanent exhibition with the addition of works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jeff Koons

Coinciding with the thirtieth edition of Festivaletteratura, Palazzo della Ragione in Mantua ‒hosting masterpieces from the Sonnabend Collection ‒ raises the curtain on the exhibition by Gilbert & George, whose history intersected with that of the Sonnabend gallery in 1971, when their performance, The Singing Sculpture, inaugurated its New York location.
Decades later, this bond is renewed with the arrival, in the halls of the Sonnabend Collection Mantua, of eight works emblematic of the British duo’s artistic philosophy, temporarily joining Berries (1985), the work already included in the permanent exhibition at Palazzo della Ragione.
Along a path that winds through the production of Gilbert & George, the main themes of their work emerge – from politics to sex, from religion to urban identity to immortality – and the techniques used – from the powerful charcoal drawings of The Bar II (1972) to the famous photographic interventions with a geometric grid such as Piss off! (2014), Bale (2013) and Beardway (2016). When asked by curator and artistic director Mario Codognato about their transition from large-scale drawings to photography, the duo emphasized that their art stems from their head, soul, and sex. Their meeting with Ileana Sonnabend is described in these words: “1971, LIVING SCULPTURE, Show Room du Jardin Stores Louise, Brussels, an elderly lady approached us. ‘My name is Ileana Sonnabend. I am opening a gallery in New York, I want you to be the first exhibition.’ That is how we met Ileana for the first time. The rest is the history.”
In parallel with the exhibition, Sonnabend Collection Mantua is updating its permanent display, in keeping with the dynamism that has always characterized the collection. Campbell’s Soup Can (Turkey noodle) by Andy Warhol and Large Spool by Roy Lichtenstein temporarily leave the rooms in favour of the entrance of three works on paper made by Roy Lichtenstein from the early 1960s ‒ AIRPLANE (1961), MAN WITH COAT (1961) and KNOCK KNOCK (1961) ‒ and four canvases by Andy Warhol dedicated to Flowers from 1964. The section dedicated to Jeff Koons welcomes two works from his early career ‒ Buster Keaton (1988) and Jim Beam ‒ Barrel Car (1986) replacing Wild Boy and Puppy (1988) and Gazing Ball (Standing Woman) (2014).

INFO
10 September 2026 – 5 April 2027
Gilbert & George
SONNABEND COLLECTION MANTUA
Palazzo della Ragione
Piazza Erbe, Mantua
https://www.sonnabendmantova.it/