The exhibition
The Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti presents a new and captivating contemporary art exhibition in Rome at PM23, the exhibition space located in Piazza Mignanelli, just steps from Piazza di Spagna, in the historic center of the Eternal City.
The exhibition stars Joana Vasconcelos, an internationally acclaimed Portuguese artist renowned for her monumental, highly theatrical installations that merge contemporary art, traditional craftsmanship and strong social reflection.
Designed as a fluid and non-linear experience, the exhibition path guides visitors through a curated selection of the artist’s iconic works alongside new site-specific installations created exclusively for PM23. These original works engage in a refined dialogue with the aesthetic universe and creative heritage of Valentino Garavani, reinterpreting garments, volumes, forms and visions through abstraction. The result is a powerful artistic narrative celebrating the legacy of the “last emperor of fashion”, founder of one of the most iconic symbols of Italian elegance worldwide, in a continuous exchange between art and fashion, past and present.
The heart of the exhibition is Venus, a striking monumental installation inspired by a Valkyrie from Norse mythology and reimagined in a contemporary key. Composed of thousands of decorative elements, the artwork takes the form of a strong, abstract female figure that embodies collective craftsmanship, the transmission of knowledge, social empowerment, community vitality and both individual and collective resilience.
The work that gives the exhibition its title is the result of an ambitious participatory art project, created with the contribution of hundreds of people: fashion students from Italian academies, pediatric patients from Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, patients from Gemelli Medical Center, survivors of violence, refugees and inmates from Rebibbia Prison. A shared creative process that makes Venus a powerful symbol of inclusion, care and social strength.
With this exhibition, PM23 Rome confirms itself as a dynamic cultural space where beauty is not only to be admired, but shared. A place where contemporary art and fashion in Rome meet to inspire dialogue, new perspectives and enrich the city’s cultural landscape.
Don’t miss this unique Rome art exhibition celebrating the dialogue between Joana Vasconcelos’ contemporary art and Valentino haute couture. Discover our fashion-inspired floor and book your experience at 47 Boutique Hotel, perfectly located to explore Rome’s finest exhibitions.
Discover more exhibitions and events
Venus. Valentino Garavani through the eyes of Joana Vasconcelos will be at PM23 until May 16. An extraordinary dialogue between contemporary art and haute couture in the heart of Rome.
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.