The Be Local Association has initiated a five-year strategic undertaking to convert the historic Santo Stefano church in Bologna into a Permanent Exhibition Hub of international stature. This endeavor, currently being formalized through a public-private agreement with the Municipality, sets a core target of attracting 50,000 visitors by the end of 2030. This structured approach represents a deliberate shift from previous methods that relied on managing individual exhibitions on an ad hoc basis, aiming instead to secure sustained organizational and promotional continuity for the venue.
Stefano Gribaldo, President of the Be Local Association, confirmed that the initial investment phase for this transformation is projected to require approximately 2 million euros. The feasibility project proposal has secured approval from the Giunta, which now clears the path for the Project Financing procedure to secure the necessary private partner for the forthcoming five-year operational agreement. Bologna, a major northern Italian hub recognized by UNESCO for its porticoes in 2021, provides the backdrop for this cultural revitalization project.
The association has already delineated the schedule for the initial three exhibitions slated for 2026. The inaugural show, scheduled from December 2025 through April 2026, is titled "The Visionaries of Surrealism - from Dalí to Magritte and the Revolution of the Imaginary," with Vincenzo Sanfo serving as curator. This exhibition will present approximately 80 original pieces sourced from private Italian and French collections, featuring seminal artists such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, Man Ray, and Giorgio de Chirico.
The second confirmed event for 2026, running from June through September, is "Restless Heroines: Myth, Passion, and Resistance between Artemisia Gentileschi and Tamara de Lempicka." Pierluigi Carofano is curating this thematic exploration, which will feature sixty works to examine female emancipation, notably including pieces from the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Following this, the final confirmed presentation for 2026, under the curatorship of Vittorio Sgarbi, is titled "Art on the Table: Masterpieces from Caravaggio to Banksy," intending to create an immersive narrative path integrating sensory elements.
The focus on diverse, high-profile art movements—from Surrealism to Baroque to contemporary street art—suggests a broad appeal strategy intended to help meet the ambitious visitor goal. The planned duration of each exhibition, spanning several months, ensures a consistent flow of programming vital for sustaining visitor numbers over the five-year term outlined in the agreement with the Municipality of Bologna. The precedent set by the Be Local Association's prior success with an exhibition dedicated to Andy Warhol suggests an understanding of marketing globally recognized artistic themes to a broad audience.
