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From 3 to 12 July 2026, Milano Marittima will host the second edition of Mare d’Arte Festival, entitled “Prospettive”. Promoted by the Municipality of Cervia, the festival transforms the city into an open-air, widespread museum, bringing free events dedicated to visual art, music, literature, philosophy and live performances into public spaces.
At the heart of the project is the connection between Milan and Milano Marittima, united by the figure of Giuseppe Palanti. An artist, costume designer for Teatro alla Scala, professor and vice-president of the Brera Academy, Palanti was also a designer and urban planner: he imagined and designed the garden city of Milano Marittima, shaping its landscape and architectural identity.
In 2026, the year marking the eightieth anniversary of his death and the creation of the Fondazione Palanti Romussi ETS, Mare d’Arte Festival strengthens this dialogue between the two cities through a programme that places at its centre art’s ability to create connections between territories, communities and different visions.
“Prospettive”, the theme of the 2026 edition
The theme chosen for the 2026 edition is “Prospettive”: an invitation to observe Milano Marittima from different points of view. On the one hand, from above and from afar, as a landscape made up of natural and architectural geometries; on the other, up close, as a human, cultural and professional ecosystem in constant transformation.
Within this context comes “Vista Mare”, the project by Jacopo Di Cera, one of the most significant new features of this second edition.
Jacopo Di Cera and “Vista Mare”
The festival symbolically opens as early as 26 June with a Milan preview hosted by Social Lab Scalo Porta Genova. The protagonist of the preview is Jacopo Di Cera, an internationally renowned artist who, through photography, installations and immersive technologies, addresses environmental, social and human issues with a highly emotional visual language.
With “Vista Mare”, Di Cera enters the programme of Mare d’Arte Festival 2026 with an installation that will later be transferred to Milano Marittima, where it will remain on view from July until the end of August. The project thus becomes one of the central works of the 2026 edition and an ideal bridge between Milan and Milano Marittima.
The title “Vista Mare” dialogues with the theme of the edition, “Prospettive”, which invites visitors to observe the territory from different points of view. The exhibition therefore contributes to the narrative of Milano Marittima as a place where art, nature and architecture intertwine.
Curated by Nicolas Ballario
“Vista Mare” is curated by Nicolas Ballario, art critic, cultural communicator and winner of the Premio Bassani. Trained alongside Oliviero Toscani, Ballario joins the project as one of the most significant figures of the 2026 edition, helping to strengthen the cultural positioning of the festival under the artistic direction of Gianluca Orazi.
According to Ballario, Mare d’Arte Festival represents “a virtuous example of how culture can generate value, identity and new opportunities for a territory”. In this context, contemporary art becomes a tool for creating relationships between people, places and different generations.
A dialogue with the festival’s legacy
Mare d’Arte Festival 2026 continues the path launched with the first edition, which saw the creation of works such as “Non basta il canto delle sirene” by Valerio Berruti, now permanently installed on the northern quay of the Porto Canale in Cervia, on the Milano Marittima side.
The festival will conclude with a public meeting right next to Berruti’s work. It will be an opportunity to bring the cultural legacy of 2025 into dialogue with the new visions of 2026, through a conversation between Valerio Berruti and Jacopo Di Cera.
The project thus confirms Mare d’Arte Festival’s intention not to be limited to the timeframe of the event itself, but to produce works, content and materials destined to become part of the public heritage, transforming Milano Marittima into a widespread museum.
