The City Council of L’Aquila has approved the art project “Beyond the Visible,” which will feature the renowned Chinese artist Liu Bolin, known internationally as “the invisible man” for his extraordinary performances blending into urban and natural spaces.
The initiative, proposed by Audentes Consulting – Strategital Vanguard with the approval of the Supervisory Committee, is part of the official program for the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture and aims to highlight the region’s iconic sites through a unique artistic language that combines painting, performance, and photography.
Bolin’s artistic practice combines painting, photography, and performance.
Through a meticulous body-painting process, the artist paints himself to blend seamlessly with his surroundings, becoming almost indistinguishable from the background.
The project involves the creation of three previously unpublished photographs in three iconic locations in L’Aquila and Abruzzo: the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, Rocca Calascio, and the ancient forests of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park.
Each photograph will be the culmination of a public performance in which the artist will “merge” with the landscape, creating powerful and symbolic images.
The works, produced in a limited series, will be on display in the city during the summer months—from June to September—in an exhibition space to be selected in collaboration with the municipal administration.
L’Aquila thus reaffirms its role as a creative hub and cultural crossroads, capable of attracting major figures in contemporary art and transforming the region into a stage for shared artistic experiences.
“Today, L’Aquila is not just a rebuilt city, but a place that has been revitalized thanks to its ability to transform pain into hope and crisis into rebirth. Culture has been one of the key elements of this journey. Hosting an artist like Liu Bolin means projecting our identity on a global scale, blending memory and innovation. His works, which blend the body and the landscape, speak of belonging and vision: values that guide us on our journey toward 2026.
“This project is a tangible sign of our ambition to be a creative hub and a point of reference for the country’s inland regions,” said Pierluigi Biondi, mayor of L’Aquila.