Alessandro Berni Gallery presents Mania Unleashed, a solo exhibition by Franco Manià, curated by Gabriella De Ferrari, on view from April 16 through April 26, 2026, at 511 West 25th Street, New York. Opening Reception: Thursday, April 16, 6–8 PM.
This exhibition marks a rare presentation of Manià’s work, bringing forward an artist who has spent decades working in quiet dedication, outside traditional art world structures. His practice is instinctive and deeply personal, shaped over time through repetition, introspection, and an unwavering commitment to painting.
Manià’s works unfold as vivid, shifting worlds—where figures, landscapes, and imagined forms merge and transform. His compositions resist fixed interpretation, inviting viewers into spaces that feel both familiar and otherworldly. Color carries emotional weight, guiding the viewer through scenes that are at once dreamlike and unsettling.
Though his work may invite comparisons, it ultimately stands apart—developed over decades through an internal language that resists categorization and remains entirely his own.
As Agnes Gund (President of Museum of Modern Art from 1991 to 2002) reflected:
“Franco Manià drew my attention over ten years ago in a serendipitous way. His images are timeless symbols.”
Curator Gabriella De Ferrari offers further insight into the artist and the origins of this exhibition:
“Franco Manià is a self-taught artist who lives in a small town not far from Venice. He is a gentle and quiet man who has dedicated his life to his art. He is shy and hesitant to share his work with others, yet, when he does, his passion and his love for his paintings is contagious and one cannot escape being overwhelmed by the magnitude and the range of the work he has quietly produced for almost four decades. His fans are his family and his close friends and he is satisfied with that.
Aggie and I first encountered Franco when we were traveling in Italy and we became immediate fans of Franco and his work. It was through the efforts of his brother, Oriente, who lives in New York and who introduced us to Franco, that this exhibition came to be. I think the idea of a show in New York would be humbling to Franco, who lives alone in the company of his paintings and derives complete satisfaction just from being able to paint and create, building in his work a world of his own.
Although the work can invite comparisons to Surrealism or to his compatriot De Chirico, Franco’s work is unique and all his own. It is filled with vivid images of fantastic figures, landscapes, and landscapes turned into figures. The color is vibrant, and the work carries a haunting quality that stays with the viewer and invites narrative interpretations.”
Mania Unleashed brings this body of work into dialogue with a wider audience, offering an encounter that is both intimate and expansive.
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 16, 6–8 PM
Location: Alessandro Berni Gallery, 511 West 25th Street, New York, NY
Hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm; Sunday by appointment only
