The exhibition
From December 17th, 2025 to April 6th, 2026, the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts presents Rome in the World, a major exhibition exploring the identity of Rome within the context of today’s global metropolises.
What makes Rome different from cities such as Paris, London, Istanbul or Beijing? Is it still a liveable, accessible and sustainable city? And what place does Rome hold today in the world’s imagination?
The exhibition addresses these questions through data, immersive installations and a visual journey that portrays contemporary Rome as a complex, layered and constantly evolving metropolis.
Curated by urbanist Ricky Burdett, Rome in the World offers a new interpretation of the city, no longer only as a historical and tourist capital, but as a vast urban system extending far beyond its iconic historic centre.
The exhibition analyses Rome’s social, spatial, cultural and ecological DNA, placing it in dialogue with other global capitals and addressing key contemporary challenges such as:
- demographic stagnation
- migration
- mass tourism
- climate change
- urban transformation
This timely and necessary investigation comes as Rome approaches nearly three thousand years since its foundation.
At the centre of the exhibition is an extraordinary physical model of the city of Rome, specially commissioned by the MAXXI.
Made of terracotta (a material deeply rooted in Roman architectural tradition) the model is built at a scale of 1:7500 and is the largest physical representation ever created of the entire municipality of Rome.
From Ostia to Formello, beyond the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the model becomes a living surface onto which advanced video projections and data are mapped, revealing Rome as a vast metropolitan organism.
The project was developed by Modelab, with a concept by Ricky Burdett and Marco Galofaro (2025), and is part of the MAXXI Architecture and Contemporary Design Collection.
A key section of the exhibition is dedicated to Rome in the global imagination. Through images, artworks, photographs and narratives, a large visual collage is created, showing how Rome has been observed, represented and reinterpreted over the centuries.
The enduring power of Rome’s images makes the city a constant reference in the world’s collective imagination — a place where the relationship between space and time is continually rethought.
Do not miss the exhibition dedicated to the Eternal City and stay at 47 Boutique Hotel.
Discover more exhibitions and events
Until April 6th, 2026, the MAXXI Museum in Rome hosts an exhibition that tells the story of the Eternal City in our time.
Until April 12, 2026, the Capitoline Museums in Rome host the exhibition “Greece in Rome”, featuring over 150 masterpieces from ancient Greek civilization.
From December 4th to January 6th, the 2025-2026 edition of Natale at the Auditorium Parco della Musica lights up Rome with a month full of music, theater, dance and free events for the whole family.
A major Impressionism exhibition in Rome arrives at Ara Pacis Museum, showcasing iconic masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Vivian Maier. The Exhibition and Pop Air by Ugo Nespolo open the new season of the Museo del Genio.
Cartier and the Myth at the Capitoline Museums: the extraordinary exhibitions celebrating the timeless connection between Rome and the Maison.
Until May 3, 2026, the exhibition “The Treasures of the Pharaohs” will be on display at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome.
The exhibition dedicated to the birth of cinema in Rome will be on display at Castel Sant’Angelo until January 18, 2026.
Until February 1st, 2026, the exhibition dedicated to Dalí will be on display at Palazzo Cipolla, featuring over 60 works.
Alphonse Mucha. A triumph of beauty and seduction exhibition in Rome 2025 at Palazzo. Bonaparte. Featuring 150 masterpieces, this extraordinary event traces the artistic journey of Alphonse Mucha, one of the greatest masters of Art Nouveau.