On the occasion of the 37th edition of the Trieste Film Festival, the city is enriched by three major exhibitions that expand its narrative and artistic horizons, alongside the exhibition that opened on December 29, “25 Years of the FVG Film Commission, a Visual Story of Films Shot in the Region,” organized by Casa del Cinema. From a graphic novel celebrating the genius of Nikola Tesla, to the visual archive of Yugoslav design, and on to video art investigating the human microbiome, these three exhibitions bring historical memory, contemporary creativity, and scientific research into dialogue.
It begins on January 10 at Sala Veruda with the multidisciplinary exhibition by Živorad “Zico” Mišić, titled “On the Currents of Art,” created with the support of the Municipality of Trieste – Department of Culture and Tourism Policies (main sponsor: ZKB Bank, with the contribution of the Polojaz Foundation). One hundred works are on display, including original plates, framed pieces, digital works, illustrated stories, and original drawings featuring real or imaginary characters that move across eras and places, with particular attention to the city of Trieste and its symbols.
Mišić, a Serbian artist now Triestine by adoption and a leading figure at the Academy of Comics, places Nikola Tesla at the center of his artistic journey. Through the plates of the graphic novel Tesla: The Lord of Lightning, the exhibition does not merely recount the scientist’s childhood, but turns him into a bridge between reality and fantasy—a connecting thread linking the different artistic and cultural currents explored by Mišić.
The exhibition, open until January 26 (hours: Mon–Sun 10 a.m.–1 p.m. / 5–8 p.m.), is further enlivened by Superhero Science Week: a week of workshops and events from January 12 to 18, curated by the Serbian Youth Cultural Association of Trieste. Here, the language of superheroes is used to explain science to schools and families, demonstrating how drawing can make even the most complex concepts accessible, thanks to the involvement of experts and representatives from major local and international scientific institutions.
For exhibition and guided tour bookings: acgs.sko@gmail.com.
For updates and the full program: www.acgstrieste.org.
From January 14 to February 21, the cultural association Cizerouno hosts the visual research project Yugo Logo in the spaces of Cavò. For the first time outside the territories of the former Yugoslavia, curators Ognjen Ranković and Antonio Karača bring to Trieste a selection of more than 600 historical logos. It is a journey through the graphic memory of a country that no longer exists, yet has left behind a legacy of strikingly modern and innovative design. The exhibition offers in-depth sections dedicated to tourism, theatre, and cinema, while also paying tribute to the graphics and women designers who helped shape the visual imagination of the era. It is an opportunity to rediscover how logos and brands were, in every sense, fundamental building blocks of a shared cultural identity.
As part of the exhibition, the talk “Conversations on Yugo Logo” will take place on Saturday, January 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Bar Knulp, with Ognjen Ranković and Antonio Karača in conversation, moderated by Nuša Hauser.
Finally, starting January 15, the EContemporary Gallery, in collaboration with Alpe Adria Cinema – Trieste Film Festival, presents Beyond Human Skin / Invisible Cohabitations, an exhibition curated by Elena Cantori that shifts the focus to the deeper nature of human identity. Italian artist Martina Martonsky, with a background in Gender Studies, invites us to stop seeing ourselves as isolated individuals and instead as “holobionts”: complex organisms that live through collaboration with bacteria and invisible microorganisms. Through video art, photography, and animation, the exhibition explores the idea of a “porous skin” that connects us to others and to the environment. Drawing on contemporary ecological theories, Martonsky’s work encourages reflection on our responsibility toward the planet, beginning with the recognition of the countless forms of life we host within and around us.
The exhibition opens on January 15 at 6:00 p.m. and will be on view until January 24 (hours: Monday–Sunday, 5–8 p.m.). The artist will also lead a collaborative workshop with Susan Petri on Sunday, January 18, from 3:00 to 6:30 p.m. (by reservation), at EContemporary Gallery. Titled “Cut, Paste, Animate!!”, the workshop will allow participants to transform static images into short animated narratives using collage and stop-motion techniques. Through cutting, composition, and sequential photography, participants will bring to life characters, landscapes, and stories created entirely from paper and recycled materials.
Bookings and information: +39 328 7349711 | info@elenacantori.com
