Broken. The Power of the Fragment

From September 25, 2026 to January 24, 2027, Palazzo Strozzi presents Broken. The Power of the Fragment, a major exhibition exploring the evocative power of fragments in the history of sculpture, from antiquity to contemporary art.

Organized by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the exhibition brings together more than eighty works from leading international museums, taking visitors on a journey across cultures and eras, from ancient Egypt and classical Greece to Cambodia and Mexico, while exploring the historical, symbolic and aesthetic significance of the fragment.

Alongside masterpieces by artists such as Giovanni Pisano, Michelangelo, Antonio Canova and Auguste Rodin, the exhibition features works by modern and contemporary artists including Louise Bourgeois, Huma Bhabha, Robert Gober, Francesco Vezzoli and Danh Vo, all of whom have employed the fragment as a powerful tool for artistic exploration and experimentation.

To coincide with the exhibition, the Renaissance courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi will also host a new site-specific installation by Dutch artist Mark Manders, created to engage in dialogue with both the architecture of the palace and the exhibition’s themes.

Broken. The Power of the Fragment explores the forces that have shaped the fragmentation of sculptures throughout history, from iconoclasm and war to vandalism and natural disasters, highlighting the historical, symbolic, and political significance these works have acquired over time.

The exhibition also invites visitors to view the fragment as an autonomous work of art, capable of transcending its original context and establishing an ongoing dialogue between past and present.