Italian artist Alessandra Rovelli is making her United States exhibition debut at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio, bringing international attention to her hometown of Rivolta d’Adda in Lombardy.
Rovelli’s work is included in LAND(SCAPE), a collective exhibition exploring landscape as the physical, cultural, and perceptual space in which human life unfolds. The show opened to the public on July 10 and will remain on view through August 7, 2026, in the gallery’s central and north spaces.
Her selected piece, “Sai tenere un segreto?” – “Can You Keep a Secret?” – was created in 2021 using mixed media and soil on canvas mounted on a cardboard box. The work reflects Rovelli’s interest in matter, surfaces, memory, and the relationship between an artwork and the space surrounding it.
Competition for the exhibition was exceptionally strong. Manifest received 916 works from 261 artists representing 41 states, Washington, D.C., and 17 countries. Through a blind jury process, only 22 works by 19 artists were chosen. Rovelli and Genoa-based Alberto Repetti are the exhibition’s 2 Italian participants.
In addition to appearing in the Cincinnati gallery, Rovelli’s work will be published in the Manifest Exhibition Annual, extending its visibility beyond the exhibition itself.
The American debut comes during another important period in her career. Rovelli was also named a finalist in the artwork category of the Premio Casciaro, which honors contemporary painting and the legacy of Apulian artist Giuseppe Casciaro. The winner will receive a monthlong solo exhibition at the Gigi Rigliaco Gallery in Galatina, Lecce.
