Zig Zag
A Visual Bridge Between Italy and the United States: 250 Years of Friendship
Festival and Exhibition Opening
Two hundred and fifty years of friendship between Italy and the United States are told through the eyes of Italian and American authors and illustrators. Beginning with images that symbolize the relationship between the two countries, the artists will engage in a dialogue exploring shared influences, cultural exchanges, and new visual perspectives.
Program:
Opening Remarks: Claudio Pagliara
Director, Italian Cultural Institute of New York
Round Table with Illustrators:
Mac Barnett, Marianna Coppo, Felicita Sala, Riccardo Vecchio, Olimpia Zagnoli
Moderator: Ilaria Tontardini
The round table will be introduced by festival curator Steven Guarnaccia and by author and historian Leonard Marcus.
Cocktail reception to follow.
Zig Zag: A Visual Bridge Between Italy and the United States is a five-day festival (June 8–12, 2026) entirely dedicated to illustration and to the exchange and exploration of visual languages between Italy and the United States.
The festival is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York in collaboration with Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Hamelin, Rizzoli Bookstore, the Society of Illustrators, Salotto – Casa IED, SVA School of Visual Arts, and Sullaluna.nyc.
Reservation no longer available