Anselm Kiefer's Alchemists at the Royal Palace in Milan
From 7 February to 27 September 2026, Anselm Kiefer presents 'The Alchemists' in Milan, a large site-specific work conceived specifically for the Sala delle Cariatidi of Palazzo Reale. The exhibition, one of the flagship cultural events of 2026, offers an intense reflection on female history, painting and memory, restoring visibility to figures of women alchemists long excluded from the official narrative.
Curated by Gabriella Belli, the exhibition consists of thirty-eight large canvases, conceived as a single work in dialogue with one of the most symbolic spaces in Milan, marked by the wounds of the bombings of 1943.
The Sala delle Cariatidi thus becomes a place of transformation, where ruin and regeneration are intertwined in a powerful visual and symbolic dimension.
At the center of the project, the tribute to women alchemists, scientists ante litteram capable of combining empirical knowledge, body care and knowledge of nature.
Kiefer gives voice to historical figures such as Caterina Sforza, together with other well-known and lesser-known protagonists, giving them a strong and monumental presence through a material and stratified painting.
In the canvases, alchemy becomes a metaphor for artistic making: fire, the transformation of matter and the stratification of materials refer to processes of destruction and rebirth. Each work is configured as an act of resurrection, in which faces and bodies emerge from the pictorial surface as apparitions.
Promoted by the Municipality of Milan - Culture and produced by Palazzo Reale and Marsilio Arte, the exhibition is part of the cultural program of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, confirming Milan as one of the main international centers of contemporary art. A project of great symbolic power that invites the public to an immersive and deeply emotional experience.
INFORMATION SHOW THE ALCHEMISTS
- Venue: Palazzo Reale - Sala delle Cariatidi - Piazza del Duomo 12, Milan.
- Dates: February 7 - September 27, 2026.
- Hours: every day 10.00-19.30; Thursday closing at 10.30 pm. Last admission one hour before closing. Closed on Mondays.
- Tickets Open €17: full €15; reduced €13; Presale excluded.
