More than 100 contemporary artists will gather in San Diego this fall for “United in Art – 100 Stars | Rambaldi’s Orbit,” an international exhibition connecting contemporary creativity with the legacy of Italian visual-effects pioneer Carlo Rambaldi.
The exhibition opens October 17 at Sparks Gallery, with a public reception from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, and runs into early November. Organized by the Carlo Rambaldi Cultural Foundation, the project follows an inaugural presentation in New York City in 2025 and brings together artists from Italy and other countries in California.
Curated by Daniela Rambaldi, the artist’s daughter, and Simona HeArt, the exhibition embraces painting, sculpture, photography, digital art and other contemporary forms. Actress and model Jo Champa serves as Honorary Patron for the 2026 edition. The concept imagines every participating artist as a star within a larger creative constellation – individual voices connected by Rambaldi’s extraordinary ability to turn imagination into something tangible.
A three-time Academy Award winner, Rambaldi helped create some of cinema’s most memorable characters. His international legacy now becomes the starting point for new artistic connections between Italy and the United States.
The San Diego edition also introduces the Carlo Rambaldi Award – United in Art 100 Stars, honoring creativity, research and the ability to transform a vision into reality. Designed by artist Luca Fronzoni, the award is itself conceived as an artwork and will accompany United in Art as a biennial project.
The initiative comes during an especially meaningful year for Rambaldi’s legacy, as Hollywood honors him with a posthumous star on the Walk of Fame. Through more than 100 artistic perspectives, San Diego will celebrate not only a master of Italian creativity, but also the new generations continuing to imagine what comes next.
