Giacomo Balla, a universe of light in Parma

Have you ever seen light transform into shape, colour and energy?

If the answer is no (or not really), then I recommend a must-see exhibition: Giacomo Balla. A Universe of Light, the major exhibition held in Parma, in the elegant rooms of the Palazzo del Governatore, from 10 October 2025 to 1 February 2026.

This exhibition is not only an opportunity to admire the works of the master of Futurism, but also a real journey into the enlightened mind (in every sense) of one of the absolute pioneers of modern art.

Spoiler: this is the first time that the entire collection of the National Gallery in Rome to travel to another city. And it does so in style, with over 60 works, some of which have never been exhibited together before.

Balla on display in Parma

Giacomo Balla was not one to go unnoticed.

He called himself “the Leonardo da Vinci of the 20th century” and, on closer inspection, he was not exaggerating that much.

Born in Turin in 1871, he went through every phase of his time with a tireless experimental spirit: from social realism to the Futurist revolution, to a final figurative season that is waiting to be rediscovered.

The common thread? Light.

Always and everywhere. As inspiration, as subject, as object of investigation. It is the true protagonist of the exhibition, the beating heart of Balla’s entire production.

In Parma, you will find its infinite variations, distributed across 13 rooms organised in thematic and chronological order.

Works that speak (and dazzle)

The exhibition opens with “Nello specchio” (In the Mirror), an intimate and choral painting from 1901-02 in which the artist portrays his friends and himself. It seems that Giacomo Puccini, upon seeing it, said, “This is my Bohème, I want it at any cost!” But Balla, stubborn and generous, preferred to sell it to the state: today it is one of the key pieces in the National Gallery.

Then there are the “living”, the forgotten, the marginalised, the disinherited of early 20th-century industrial society. Among these, “La pazza” (The Madwoman) is striking for its emotional power: a woman with a lost look in her eyes, caught in a convulsive gesture, while the light sculpts her fragility. It is a shocking scene.

And then there are sketches, drafts and preparatory studies that take you into Balla’s creative workshop. Such as the study for “Fallimento” (Failure), inspired by a wall daubed by children and which unwittingly became a precursor to the art of Jean Dubuffet. Or the drawings for “I ritmi dell’archetto” (The Rhythms of the Bow), which depict the movement of music in visual form.

Of course, there is no shortage of Futurist dynamism, which made Balla famous throughout the world.

You will see his iconic lines of speed, dynamic expansions, sketches for Volo di rondini (Flight of Swallows) and the electricity of bodies in motion. Every line is a shock.

Among the highlights is Forme-volume del grido “Viva l’Italia”, a work linked to the interventionist fervour of 1915, which hides a surprising image beneath the surface, revealed thanks to X-ray analysis: a vertical female nude, painted years earlier.

Art that transforms, overlaps and reinvents itself.

And the finale? More light, but different.

The last rooms take you to lesser-known territories: the 1940s, the war, the queues for food, the stolen glances from the window of his studio. The queue for lamb is a small everyday masterpiece that recounts Rome in difficult times, with an almost cinematic sensitivity.

It is the last Balla, still experimental, still curious, still capable of using light to recount life.

Giacomo Balla, Dei Viventi; La pazza. 1905, olio su tela, cm 174,7 x 115
Roma, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. GNAMC/foto di Alessandro Vasari
© Giacomo Balla, by SIAE 2025

Why visit the exhibition

Because you can’t truly understand Futurism until you see it up close.
Because this exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the largest loan ever granted by Rome to another city.
Because Balla is not just a name in the history books, but an artist who still speaks to us today.

Above all, because Parma is beautiful and deserves a weekend of art and tortelli.

Info and tickets on the Parma City Council website or directly at the Palazzo del Governatore.

GIACOMO BALLA, A UNIVERSE OF LIGHT.
The collection of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

The exhibition is organised and co-curated by the Municipality of Parma and the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, which will also present to the public the results of recent studies and research on the surprising collection. It is curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi and Renata Cristina Mazzantini with the collaboration of Elena Gigli, the contribution of the Cariparma Foundation and the Emilia Romagna Region, and the collaboration of the Solares Foundation for the Arts.

Parma, Palazzo del Governatore
10 October 2025 – 1 February 2026