From 28 to 31 May, Rome will host Salon 2026, the world meeting dedicated to decorative painting, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. The event will bring together more than 150 selected artists from around 30 countries, serving as an international platform for dialogue on techniques, materials and artistic traditions, from the most ancient to the most contemporary.
The Fabbrica di San Pietro in Vaticano is also taking part in the initiative as Institutional Partner, bringing to the Salon the testimony of a centuries-old tradition linked to the care, conservation and enhancement of the artistic and architectural heritage of the Vatican Basilica.
On Saturday, 30 May, at 10:00 a.m., Paolo Di Buono, Head of the Vatican Mosaic Studio, will deliver a lecture. The meeting, entitled The Vatican Mosaic Studio. Five Centuries of Art and Craftsmanship in St. Peter’s Basilica, will be dedicated to the history of one of the Vatican’s most extraordinary artistic institutions, active for more than five hundred years in the heart of Vatican City.
The lecture will retrace the main stages in the history of the Vatican Mosaic Studio, from its sixteenth-century origins linked to the decoration of the new St. Peter’s Basilica to the invention of mosaico in filato, the technique that enabled Vatican mosaicists to translate great paintings into monumental works destined to endure over time. Alongside the creation of these masterpieces, the lecture will also explore the Studio’s quieter yet essential mission: the ongoing restoration of the mosaics of St. Peter’s Basilica, a living heritage handed down from generation to generation.
Salon 2026 will take place at Sapienza University of Rome, in the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering, within the historic complex of the former convent of San Pietro in Vincoli. This setting of great historical and architectural value is fully in keeping with the spirit of an event dedicated to the decorative arts and to their ability to cross eras, cultures and languages.
The theme chosen for this edition is “The Light of the Eternal City”, a tribute to Rome and to the fundamental role of light in art, capable of enhancing forms, colours and surfaces. It is a theme that also enters into an ideal dialogue with St. Peter’s Basilica, where light, matter and space have for centuries combined to create a unique artistic and spiritual experience.
Salon 2026 is organised by the CREATTIVAmens Association, on the initiative of its Vice-President and Salon member Caterina Manisco.
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