LAVINIA at Villa Borghese: fifth edition
Saâdane Afif
still onview: Ross Birrell & David Harding, Ruth Ewan, Enzo Cucchi, Piero Golia, Johanna Grawunder, Gianni Politi, Monika Sosnowska
curated by Salvatore Lacagnina
From June 12th 2026, the fifth chapter of LAVINIA will be on view, featuring an installation and performance conceived by the artist Saâdane Afif (Vendôme 1970, lives and works in Berlin). The project brings contemporary art into dialogue with the restoration of the Loggia dei Vini in Villa Borghese, engaging a broad and varied public, while returning a forgotten space to the city and reconsidering the relationship between art and architecture through a contemporary lens.
Curated by Salvatore Lacagnina, developed by Ghella and promoted by Roma Capitale – Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, and Zètema Progetto Cultura, LAVINIA is a three-year programme conceived to accompany the restoration of the Loggia dei Vini. Named after Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614), one of the first professional women artists recognised in art history, the project engages visitors moving through the park in an open dialogue with the site.
The restoration was made possible through the donation of Ghella and with this opening, the restored Loggia will be visible to the public in its entirety for the first time; marking the completion of a three-year restoration.
Since its earliest iterations, LAVINIA has explored the relationship between space and language. In this fifth chapter, the programme presents a new work by Saâdane Afif, one that unfolds through words and music. His multifaceted practice draws on the knowledge of artisans, musicians and writers through collaborative projects that question the very notion of the artwork and of the artist as an individual creator. Afif, who describes himself as a “loquacious conceptual artist,” often draws on forms associated with popular culture — such as music — to bring people together through shared moments of artistic production. Through performances, objects, sculptures, texts and posters, his work continuously expands and destabilizes the idea of authorship.
In Rome, Afif transforms the space of the Loggia dei Vini into a rehearsal room where musicians Federico Bisozzi and Simone Alessandrini will compose music for ten texts written by ten different authors in response to Live, an ever-evolving work made up of posters from cultural events, which the artist uses as ready-mades and transforms into a narrative of a city’s cultural life. The work will remain on view at Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, throughout the duration of the performance at LAVINIA.The complete compositions will be presented to the public at the end of the exhibition period, performed by Rosaria Angotti.Since 2004, the artist has invited writers and artists to produce song lyrics inspired by one of his works, which are then interpreted by musicians: nearly 200 texts have been collected in Paroles (Triangle Books, 2018).During the opening, PoesiePoems by Jimmie Durham will also be presented, published by NERO with the support of Ghella and edited by Maria Thereza Alves and Salvatore Lacagnina. The volume is dedicated to the poetic and radical force of the artist’s writing.
Pistacchio e lampone is the fifth flavour of LAVINIA, the gelato-inspired title at the heart of the programme, marking the beginning of the 2026 summer season.
LAVINIA
Loggia dei vini, Villa Borghese
Access from via Pinciana 18
00197 Rome
OPENING TIMES
Thursday–Friday, 2.00pm–7.00pm
Saturday–Sunday, 11.00am–7.00pm
CONTACT
laviniaroma.com
info@laviniaroma.com
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Photo credits Eleonora Cerri Pecorella and Gioele Benedetti