Zig Zag: A Visual Bridge Between Italy and the USA

Festival Opening Event  featuring all participants and inauguration of the exhibition

Introduced and moderated by Claudio Pagliara, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of New York.

250 years of friendship between Italy and the United States are explored through the eyes of Italian authors and illustrators — Felicita Sala, Emiliano Ponzi, and Riccardo Vecchio — alongside American voices including Mac Barnett and Maria Russo.

Starting from a selection of images they consider especially emblematic of the relationship between Italy and the United States, the participants will reflect on the dynamic exchange and enduring dialogue between the two countries. An original creative conversation introduced by a historical overview from Steven Guarnaccia.

Cocktail reception to follow.

About  Zig Zag

Zig Zag: A Visual Bridge Between Italy and the USA is set to launch, a festival entirely dedicated to illustration and to the exchange and experimentation of visual languages between Italy and the United States.

From June 8 to June 12, 2026, New York City will host some of the leading voices in contemporary Italian illustration through a program of talks, conversations, and events taking place at key venues across the city connected to the world of illustration.

Italian and American illustrators, authors, and visual storytellers will come together to celebrate the vitality of the dialogue between the two countries, exploring creative worlds that are at once closely connected and distinctly unique.

The festival is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York. Curated by Steven Guarnaccia and Hamelin, in collaboration with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the festival aims to foster meaningful cultural exchange and inspire new perspectives on contemporary visual storytelling.

Project partners include Rizzoli Bookstore, Society of Illustrators, Salotto – Casa IED, SVA School of Visual Arts, and Sullaluna.nyc.

Among the guests of this edition are Mac Barnett, Debbie Bibo, Nicholas Blechman, Marianna Coppo, Kirsten Hall, Leonard Marcus, Emiliano Ponzi, Giulia Rizzo, Maria Russo, Cecilia Ruiz, Felicita Sala, Riccardo Vecchio, Tara Walker, and Olimpia Zagnoli.