NIGHTS. Five centuries of stars, dreams, plenilunes

exhibition curated by Fabio Cafagna and Elena Volpato

29 October 2025 – 1 March 2026

1 floor

Curated by Fabio Cafagna and Elena Volpato, the exhibition presents around a hundred works from prestigious public institutions and private collections in Europe, a large number of which are part of the GAM's collections.

The exhibition features works and documents that have marked the history of art and science from the seventeenth century to the present day. Organised thematically, in a sequence that aims to respect the chronological succession of the different cultural movements, the exhibition explores how the theme of night has been a favourite field for technical experimentation, scientific reflection and poetic introspection for artists over the centuries.

Through the selection of works on display in the rooms of the GAM, Nights. Five centuries of stars, dreams, plenilunes invites visitors to reflect on the appeal of the night as a place of ambiguity, mystery and discovery, in a constant dialogue between rationality and emotion, science and visionary thinking. The exhibition highlights the dual nature of the night, which, while traditionally attributed to the realm of the imagination, is also a time set aside for scientific investigation.

The exhibition opens with a section dedicated to the relationship between art and science: from Galileo Galilei's famous Sidereus Nuncius to the astronomical visions of Maria Clara Eimmart, in dialogue with works by Johann Carl Loth, Giuseppe Antonio Petrini, Pietro Ricchi and Antonio Canova.