The 2026 exhibition of graphic art, illustration and comics, curated by Giorgio Bacci, is dedicated to Piero Macola (Venice, 1976), one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary auteur comics.

He trained at the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels and is based between Paris and Italy, although his career extends internationally. He has worked with the publisher Futuropolis in France since 2014 and with Oblomov and Coconino Press in Italy. Alongside his work in comics, he is also active as an illustrator for major publishers and international periodicals, including Mondadori, Rizzoli, Le Monde Diplomatique, and Internazionale.

His visual language, shaped by the interplay of field research, first-hand experience, and imagination, explores themes such as memory, identity, and marginalisation, while negotiating a delicate balance between reality and fiction.

Through a rich selection of original plates, sketches, and preparatory materials, the exhibition retraces several landmark works: Le Tirailleur (2014), devoted to postcolonial memory; Gli indesiderati (2019), set along the banks of the Po River; Lagune (2023), a Venetian dystopia; and La Vallée heureuse (2026), presented in an exclusive preview while still in progress, offering visitors the rare opportunity to witness a work in the making. The exhibition includes a selection of illustrations produced between 2015 and 2025.