At the Biella Piazzo Cultural Hub, from April 25 to July 19, 2026, Selvatica – Art and Nature in Festival returns, the biennial event entirely dedicated to nature and the environment.
The historic Gromo Losa and Ferrero palaces are ready to host artists, photographers, creatives, and researchers in a program that combines painting, photography, and sculpture exhibitions with educational workshops and side events, all united by a single, overarching goal: the safeguarding and protection of the environment.
Selvatica 2026 will feature the first major exhibition in Italy dedicated to the American artist John James Audubon, one of the most important naturalist artists in history. Born at the end of the 18th century in the French colony of Santo Domingo (modern-day Haiti), Audubon is famous for his spectacular illustrations of American birds, compiled in the celebrated and monumental The Birds of America.
An exceptional selection of 40 masterpieces will arrive in Biella, offering a unique opportunity to admire in person the expressive power and scientific precision that have made Audubon a timeless icon.
Complementing this major exhibition will be sculptures by Alice Zanin, inspired by Audubon’s work. The artist, who primarily works with paper and bronze, will present a series of birds created specifically for Selvatica, in a striking dialogue with Audubon’s masterpieces on display. The exhibitions are curated by Lorenza Salamon.
The photography section, curated by Fabrizio Lava, opens with the intriguing exhibition by Chinese photographer Zheng Xiaolin, a poetic homage to nature: a series of black-and-white photographs featuring delicate textures and unique tones, depicting animals and landscapes. The selected works come from two books the artist created over ten years of travel and photographic research.
As usual, the festival will also showcase a rich selection of photographs from the prestigious German nature photography competition Glanzlichter. The 2025 edition recorded a record number of participants, with nearly 1,000 photographers from 36 countries submitting around 23,000 images.
Fotoclub Biella will also participate with a multivision exhibition of the best shots dedicated to the environment and nature.
Also on display, curated by Lorenza Salamon, will be the works of Geremia Cerri, winner of the previous edition of the Be Natural/Be Wild art competition promoted by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella. Curated by Irene Finiguerra, there will also be an exhibition by Anna Roberti, winner of the gallery prize provided by BI-BOx Art Space and special mention from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella in the same competition.
Additionally, in the gardens of Palazzo Gromo Losa, the public will be able to admire Michela Cavagna’s installation *“The Sociable Waver. A matter that questions,”* created in collaboration with sound artist Emiliano Battistini. The work is a sculpture made of recycled felt and corten steel, born from a reflection on the theme of cohabitation and on the difficulty, in large contemporary cities, of identifying neutral, non-alienating spaces.
Among the planned events is the scientific exhibition “Aliens – The Conquest of Italy by Plants and Animals Introduced by Humans”, curated by Francesco Tomasinelli and Raffaella Fiore, with scientific supervision by the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences at the University of Insubria.
Additionally, as usual, the Spazio Cultura of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella will host works by the finalists of the new editions of the Be Natural/Be Wild art competition, promoted by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella, and the Nord Ovest Naturae Photo Contest, organized by E20Progetti, WWF Oasi e Aree Protette Piemontesi, and Associazione Stilelibero.
Opening Hours
Friday: 3.00 pm - 7.00 pm | Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 am - 7.00 pm
April 25th, May 1st, June 1st and 2nd: 10.00 am - 7.00 pm
Ticket Office at Palazzo Gromo Losa
Corso del Piazzo, 22/24 – Biella
Tickets
Full price: € 10.00 | Reduced: € 8.00
Reduced price: under 25s, over 65s, groups of at least 12 people, university students with ID, FAI members, Amici di Castelli Aperti, Soci Plein Air, CartaEffe Feltrinelli, AIGO Card and AIGO members, UPBEduca members, WWF members, Oropa Botanical Garden ticket holders, Fondazione Accademia Perosi concert ticket/season ticket holders.
Free admission: children under 6, people with disabilities + 1 companion, teachers accompanying a class, Abbonamento Musei Piemonte Valle d’Aosta holders, Banca di Asti Museum Vouchers, journalists with valid press ID.
Educational tours and workshops for schools
Info and bookings subject to availability: +39 015 2523058 / +39 370 3432114 / coop.clorofilla@gmail.com
For further information and the full calendar of events related to Selvatica, visit www.selvaticafestival.net
