The Seventh Edition of The Milky Way Unfolds Today, January 25th, at Galleria Continua in San Gimignano

Words TOMMASO FALOCI

After six celebrated editions, the project makes its debut in Tuscany, hosted in the evocative setting of Galleria Continua in San Gimignano.
This inspiring fundraising exhibition, conceived by Damiana Leoni, is promoted by the Beta Foundation under the patronage of the Royal Danish Embassy.

SEBOO MIGONE, Casa, 201. Charcoal on paper, 67 x 102 cm. Courtesy of the artist, photo Vincenzo Germino.

Where am I?This simple yet profound question shapes the theme of the edition, evoking that sense of disorientation we often feel when faced with unfamiliar places or circumstances.

“This feeling of disorientation,” the project’s promoters explain, “is something we often recognize in the eyes and gestures of those who step into Pianoterra. Our first act of welcome is to acknowledge it: the intricate web of unmet needs and unspoken resources that each person carries—sometimes losing themselves along the way before reaching us. By recognizing these journeys, we don’t offer an escape, but rather a compass to help them rediscover the thread of their own lives. This is what drives us every day: to look beyond the surface, beyond material needs, and to value what is often left unspoken, overshadowed by more pressing concerns.”

CARLOS GARAICOIA, Resistencia, 2019. Iron, steel, bronze, gold, 30 x 20 x 32 cm, Ed. 50

Guided by this profound theme, 40 artists were invited to contribute works that reflect a sense of disorientation. Among them are notable figures such as Alberte Agerskov, Ai Weiwei, Massimo Bartolini, Pascale Birchler, Barbana Bojadzi, Carlota Bulgari, LETIA (Letizia Cariello), Loris Cecchini, Costanza Chia, Alba Clemente, Michelangelo Consani, Ala D’Amico, Bianca D’Ascanio, Jonathas De Andrade, Matt Dillon, Luca Federico Ferrero, Carlos Garaicoa, Shilpa Gupta, Camille Henrot, Priya Kishore, Andrea Mauti, Sabrina Mezzaqui, Seboo Migone, Rudi Ninov, Hans Op De Beeck, Ornaghi & Prestinari, Giovanni Ozzola, Valentina Palazzari, G.T. Pellizzi, Tobias Rehberger, Arcangelo Sassolino, Manuela Sedmach, Serse, Bernardo Siciliano, Nina Silverberg, Marta Spagnoli, Tommaso Spazzini Villa, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Eugenio Tibaldi, Giorgio Van Meerwijk, and Alejandra Varela Perera.

The proceeds from the sale of these works will directly support Pianoterra ETS’s mission to uplift vulnerable families. Specifically, the funds will be used to create two play areas in a new community space for families, set to open in Naples in 2025. They will also help provide enriching educational activities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, focusing on the crucial early years—the first 1,000 days of life.

MICHELANGELO CONSANI, Perfect Day, 2021. Plaster, wood, bone, 49 x 23 x 39 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Side2 Tokyo.
AI WEIWEI, Still Life (After Giorgio Morandi), 2024. Toy bricks (LEGO), 38 x 38 cm, Courtesy: AI WEIWEI STUDIO and GALLERIA CONTINUA, Photo by: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio.

The Milky Way envisions contemporary art as a living force within the community, one that nurtures and supports its most fragile members. Over the course of six prior editions, the initiative has been hosted by leading Italian galleries, which have generously displayed works donated by 242 artists from Italy and beyond. Now, as the project takes root in Tuscany, it continues to chart a path of hope and solidarity.

MASSIMO BARTOLINI, Loco Tondo, 2024. Ink on paper, 30 x 40.5 cm.

Program for January 25: All Events

On Saturday, January 25, Galleria Continua will host a full day of contemporary art at its space in the province of Siena, one of the world’s leading galleries with locations in San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins, Havana, Rome, São Paulo, and Paris. The day will feature a diverse program of exhibitions and events.

The program begins at 3 PM with The Milky Way (the exhibition will run for two weeks, concluding on February 8). At 4 PM, Fantasmata, the solo exhibition by artist Marta Spagnoli, will open. At 6 PM, in connection with Sabrina Mezzaqui’s exhibition Raccogliere le parole, there will be a performance by Mariangela Gualtieri/Teatro Valdoca titled Ruvido umano (poetry and voice by Mariangela Gualtieri, live music by Lemmo, and direction, set design, and lighting by Cesare Ronconi). Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the exhibition False Autumn by Jorge Macchi.