The Alchemists by Anselm Kiefer at the Royal Palace

What does alchemy have to do with art? And with women? You’ll find the answer to these questions in Milan.

If I say “alchemist”, you probably think of an old man with a beard mixing potions in the darkness of a laboratory, but that’s not the case. Forget everything you know: at Palazzo Reale, from 7 February to 27 September 2026, an exhibition awaits you that will turn your understanding of history, science, art and women upside down.

Anselm Kiefer. Le Alchimiste is an impressive, exciting and, at times, unsettling project. It is a monumental tribute to the creative and regenerative power of women, created by one of the most visionary contemporary artists of our time.

This is one of those exhibitions that you will never forget.

Anselm Kiefer, Le Alchimiste, Sophie Brahe (dettaglio)

Anselm Kiefer exhibition in Milan

Anselm Kiefer needs no introduction. His enormous canvases, laden with matter, earth, lead and symbols, and in this exhibition, curated by Gabriella Belli, you will find yourself in a room steeped in history and wounds, the Sala delle Cariatidi in Milan’s Palazzo Reale, observing 38 gigantic canvases designed specifically for that location.

This is not just any exhibition but a visual ritual. It is like entering a deconsecrated cathedral where, instead of saints, there are forgotten alchemists: women whom history has obscured but whom Kiefer brings back to centre stage, using a material and poetic language made of dust, light and layers.

The heart of the exhibition revolves around Caterina Sforza, a Renaissance scientist and military leader, author of a manuscript containing more than 400 alchemical formulas. She lived in Milan, and perhaps few people today remember that she was also a pioneer in medicine and chemistry. Alongside her, Kiefer evokes an entire constellation of female alchemists: some better known (such as Isabella Cortese or Maria la Giudea), others almost unknown, such as Rebecca Vaughan, Marie Meudrac or Anne Marie Ziegler.

Through his works, Kiefer gives voice to these figures erased from the textbooks, showing their faces and bodies as visions emerging from the canvases. They are women who have been persecuted, forgotten and hidden, but in this exhibition they come back to life, powerful and luminous.

Why you can’t miss this exhibition

There are beautiful exhibitions, and then there are those that change your perspective, and Le Alchimiste is one of them. Because it goes beyond painting and speaks to you about history, memory, and the women who built knowledge with their hands in the material and their eyes turned to the sky. The Sala delle Cariatidi in the Royal Palace will overwhelm you with the visual and symbolic power that only Kiefer can generate.

And let’s be honest: the Sala delle Cariatidi is a magical place. Marked by the bombs of the Second World War, it still bears its scars on the walls. Right there, within those wounds, Kiefer’s works fit perfectly, in a powerful dialogue between past and present, ruin and resurrection.

Anselm Kiefer, Le Alchimiste, Sophie Brahe

Information for visiting the exhibition

Tickets can be purchased online (I recommend not waiting too long to book).

Anselm Kiefer. The Alchemists
Curated by Gabriella Belli
Milan, Palazzo Reale – Sala delle Cariatidi
From 7 February to 27 September 2026

Opening hours

Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–19:30
Thursday closing at 22:30.
Last admission one hour before closing.

Closed on Mondays.

The exhibition, produced by Marsilio Arte and Palazzo Reale, is part of the cultural initiatives of the Municipality of Milan, on the occasion of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

If you love art that makes you think, that shakes you up, that burns slowly like an alchemical fire, then you must see it.