The exhibition inaugurates the new edition of ArtDate, the Contemporary Art Festival promoted and supported by the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Bergamo. Bringing together more than forty exhibitions, talks, and events across the city, the festival’s 2026 edition is united by the theme MAGIA (Magic).

From 13 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, Da Corte, one of the most influential voices in the international contemporary art scene, returns to Italy with a new project conceived specifically for the spaces of Palazzo della Ragione. Throughout his career, the artist has exhibited at some of the world’s leading institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His distinctive visual language weaves together popular imagery, collective memory, and existential reflection.

At the heart of the exhibition is Sun and Shadow, a monumental 16 x 12 metre carpet installation that transforms the historic architecture of the Palazzo into an immersive environment through which visitors can walk. The work originates from an apparently simple image: a flower and its shadow. Yet a closer look reveals a subtle dissonance. The flower appears to have bent toward the ground, while its shadow remains upright, as though image and reflection no longer belong to the same reality.

Da Corte has created an image that functions from every perspective. Depending on where one stands, the flower may appear fragile and the shadow strong, or vice versa. What seems to be a fall can become a rebirth; what appears to be defeat can transform into a new form of growth.

Sun and Shadow is produced by The Blank Contemporary Art with the support of Fondazione Cariplo as part of the Made In project. The exhibition is realized in collaboration with Palazzo Monti and made possible through the partnership of Aquafil S.p.A., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of synthetic fibres and internationally renowned for ECONYL®, a regenerated nylon yarn produced from recycled waste materials, and Radici Pietro Industries & Brands S.p.A., a historic Italian manufacturer of textile flooring.

Both partner companies share a strong commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge research and innovation.