Following the extraordinary success of the second edition of the free Call for Artists organized by CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo, which saw the participation of 4,021 talented artists from around the world, we are pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition:
"Connecting Tissue"
An Exhibition of the 24 winners of CREA OPEN 2026.
From April 9 to 17, 2026, the spaces of CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo will showcase, through the works selected by the International Jury of the Award, a multidisciplinary narrative that spans painting, sculpture, photography, video art, performance, textile art, installation, and new media.
"Connecting Tissue" explores the invisible and tenacious bond that unites individuals in the contemporary world: a network of energies and relationships capable of transforming the instability of the present into fertile ground for regeneration.
Drawing on the dynamics of conflict that animate the spaces we inhabit—interior and exterior—the exhibition takes the form of a living organism. Here, the works do not dialogue out of simple aesthetic affinity, but intertwine like fibers of a single connective tissue.
In this scenario, the artists invite a profound investigation into humanity's
identity crisis, electing the body as a locus of resilience and a diary of collective wounds.
Contemporary fragility thus transforms into a new form of belonging, transforming the spectator into an integral part of a process of cultural resistance.
Alessandra Risi Castoldi, Alsu Nuriakhmetova, Ameena Aljeman Alali, Andrea Mikyska, Angelique Nagovskaya, Anna Ratajczyk, Antonio Guiotto, Bruno Romi, Corinna Rosteck, Daria Khozhai, Daria Romanenko, Emma Windsor-Liscombe, Hye Gun Lee, Hyunah Koh, Inessa Garden, Ivana Janosev, Katharina Büttgen, Ming Lu, Niamh Swanton, Olga Lepri,
Özlem Köse, Sandro D'Agaro, Sergei Zinchuk, Tatyana Palyga, are the voices and visions of a journey that, through its works, does not limit itself to exhibiting, but proposes art as the chosen tool for mending the fragments of our contemporary identity.
The young curatorial team, composed of Gaia Crotti, Alyssa Dal Zotto, Viola De Martini, Vincent Martin, Catalina Mazilo, Anastasiia Melnykova, and Giorgia Rizzo, had the opportunity to engage with the entire process of creating this exhibition, from the concept of the theme to the installation, collaborating closely with emerging talent.
Through this initiative, CREA confirms its role as an excellent platform for
interaction and promotion of the new personalities animating the contemporary art scene, both local and international, in the true spirit of what culture is intended to do: weave networks and connections.
During the opening on April 9th, the winner of CREA OPEN 2026 will be announced. Chosen from the 24 finalists, the winning artist will have the opportunity to create a solo exhibition, curated and hosted in the CREA spaces in 2027.