Continuing its in-depth exploration of its collection, Museion presents the exhibition " You and the Night and the Music – The Francesco Conz Editions from the Museion Collection." It is dedicated in particular to the artistic editions of Francesco Conz, a key figure in the promotion of the international neo-avant-garde in Italy and its artistic output.
The exhibition, curated by Frida Carazzato, was developed in collaboration with the Fondazione Bonotto and with curatorial advice from Patrizio Peterlini. Drawing on the museum's collection, it showcases the cultural legacy and artistic vision of Francesco Conz, who worked at the intersection of Fluxus and Visual and Concrete Poetry, thus making a decisive contribution to the dissemination of these artistic practices both at home and abroad. The title of the exhibition refers to a work by Gerhard Rühm. The visual artist, musician, poet, and co-founder of the Wiener Gruppe was one of the first artists with whom Francesco Conz collaborated on the design of large-format artistic editions.
The title "You and the Night and the Music" invites us to consider the relationship between art, time, and the relationship between artists, collectors, and museum institutions. Thus, the conjunction "and" appearing in Rühm's work becomes a metaphor for the network of cultural connections that enabled the creation of a significant core collection at Museion, as well as for the figure of Conz himself, who passionately brought together artistic and human experiences.
Indeed, collectors and art critics have played a fundamental role in the history of the museum's collection. Figures such as Paolo Della Grazia, who donated his collection to Museion in 2020, Luigi Bonotto, Henry Martin, and many others have contributed to elevating the artistic heritage, which today represents an essential reference for exploring the neo-avant-garde. Thanks to their work, Museion has been able to expand its collection with a body of works that testifies to the importance of editorial and serigraphic work as a means of disseminating contemporary art.

Robert Lax, Red – yellow – blue, 1990. Museion Collection. Photo: Augustin Ochsenreiter
The exhibition will take place in the central space of the Museion Passage, a space specifically designed to accommodate dynamic, publicly accessible installations. This space, as well as the Corner—the latter on view until November 16, 2025—will feature a selection of silkscreen prints on canvas, designed by Conz for their easy transportability and flexible presentation in various contexts. The serigraphs will enter into dialogue with video works, multiples, and other works from artist editions, illustrating the special role of editorial practice as both an artistic tool and an effective space for contamination and exchange in keeping with the spirit of Fluxus.
The exhibition is rounded off by the presentation of the multi-volume work "La Livre ." This is Francesco Conz's last and recently completed editorial project, which is being presented for the first time in Italy on this occasion. The long history of the work's creation is closely linked to Brunnenburg Castle near Merano, as it consists exclusively of works by artists who, at Conz's invitation, explored the poet Ezra Pound. Pound lived in Brunnenburg Castle for fourteen years. "La Livre" was published by Archivio Conz Berlin.
A central figure in this network of relationships and a prominent protagonist of the exhibition is Berty Skuber, who is represented with numerous works in the Museion collection.
The personality of Francesco Conz, who would have turned 90 this year, will also be honored with a screening of Roberto Delvoi's documentary Conz: The Last Collector. It will be shown in the Museion's information lounge.
1 April 2025 to 31 January 2026
www.museion.it