To mark the 120th anniversary of Villa Romana, the Museo Novecento, in collaboration with Villa Romana, presents the exhibition Centoventi: Villa Romana 1905-2025, curated by Elena Agudio and Sergio Risaliti, with Mistura Allison and Eva Francioli. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 26, 2025, to March 8, 2026, in the rooms on the first floor of the Museo Novecento.

Since its inception, Villa Romana has distinguished itself as a free and independent space dedicated to artistic experimentation and international exchange, far removed from academic paradigms. Over time, this mission has evolved into supporting young and experimental art, capable of opening doors to the future and building new traditions based on critical reflection on the past and present.

The exhibition project aims to investigate the constant dialogue between the residence on Via Senese and the city of Florence, highlighting the role that Villa Romana has played in generating relationships, influences, and original visions, despite its seemingly secluded location away from the historic center. Through an intense residency program, since 1905 the Villa has hosted artists and intellectuals who, living and working in its rooms, have helped transform it into a laboratory of experimentation and openness to the contemporary world.

The exhibition at the Museo Novecento therefore represents a unique opportunity to historicize, for the first time in an Italian museum, the presence and activities of Villa Romana throughout the 20th century and up to the present day. On display are archival materials and works by some of the leading figures who have marked the life of the institution, including Ernst Barlach, Georg Baselitz, Max Beckmann, Michael Buthe, Max Klinger, Georg Kolbe, Käthe Kollwitz, Markus Lüpertz, Anna Oppermann, Max Pechstein, and Emy Roeder. The works come from the Villa Romana collection and from prestigious Italian and international museums and institutions.