The two banks of the Strait, Messina and Reggio Calabria, are preparing to experience an event full of charm which aims to enhance the territory and offer space for creativity, discussion and beauty. The “Expo Arte dei Due Mari 2026” initiative will kick off in Messina on 26 September with 12 exhibition venues, 9 in Messina and 3 in Reggio Calabria, with the aim of strengthening the link between the contemporary languages of the two cities that animates the entire project. The presentation press conference will be held on Thursday 17 September, at 10 am, in the Hall of Mirrors of Palazzo dei Leoni, headquarters of the Metropolitan City of Messina.
The meeting will be attended by the mayor Federico Basile and the councilor for culture Enzo Caruso. The promoters of Expo Arte and the president and vice-president of the Messina Art Biennale, Gianfranco Pistorio and Stefania Arcidiacono respectively, will be present. Furthermore, the members of the technical-scientific committee will participate: the art historians Giovanna Famà and Giampaolo Chillè, the professor Concetta De Pasquale (painter), the architect Michele Palamara, the professional photographer and graphic designer Antonella Mangano, the actor Nicola Calì and the godmother of the event Letizia Lucca.
During the press conference, the symbolic places that will give life to a “widespread stage” will be illustrated, in which the event will take place: from 26 September to 24 October in the Messina venues, and from 3 to 18 October with the opening of the Calabrian sites, including exhibitions, conferences, music, theater and cinema. The Expo benefits from the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Regional Departments for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity and Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, the Regional Council of the Calabria Region, the Municipalities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, the Strait Port System Authority, the Archdioceses of the two cities, the Chambers of Commerce of Messina and Reggio Calabria, the “Maria Accascina” Regional Museum, the CNR, and 52 between bodies, professional associations and associations from both sides of the Strait.