One of the world’s most famous Chinese artists blends into the Abruzzo landscape for the first time. From June 11 to 13, 2026, as part of the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture, Liu Bolin brings “Beyond the Visible” to Abruzzo: three public performances in three iconic locations across the region, from L’Aquila to the crater mountains, all the way to the National Park. In October, the three previously unseen photographs will be featured in an exhibition at Palazzo Margherita.
There are artists you can’t see—and that’s precisely why you can’t ignore them. Liu Bolin, born in Shandong in 1973 and known worldwide as “the invisible man”, is coming to Abruzzo for the first time with Beyond the Visible: a performance and photography project sponsored by Geely Auto — China’s leading automotive brand operating in Italy through Jameel Motors — in collaboration with Galleria Gaburro, as part of the program for the“L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026”.
Three days, three iconic locations in the Abruzzo region, three previously unpublished photographs: starting Thursday, the 11th through Saturday, June 13, Liu Bolin’s performances will transform the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila, the Rocca Calascio Fortress , and the forests of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park in Pescasseroli will serve as the stages for an artistic process open to the public, which visitors will be able to observe live in all its phases.
Who Is Liu Bolin: The Artist Who Disappears
Liu Bolin is one of the most important Chinese contemporary artists working internationally. His artistic practice is based on a unique technique: through sophisticated sessions of body painting lasting for hours, the artist has himself painted by a team of collaborators until he blends in perfectly with his surroundings—a wall, a building, a landscape, or supermarket shelving—and is then photographed at the point of maximum camouflage, often on the verge of being imperceptible.
The result is highly recognizable imagery that explores profound themes: the relationship between the individual and society, and between presence and absence, and between identity and invisibility. A practice rooted in political critique—Liu Bolin’s early works emerged in response to the forced demolition of his studio in Beijing in 2005—and which, over time, has expanded into a more universal reflection on the meaning of place and the memory of territories.
His works have been exhibited in major museums and institutions around the world: Centre Pompidou in Paris, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Mudec – Museum of Cultures in Milan, Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. In 2023, his portraits became part of the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with brands such as Moncler, Valentino, and Ruinart. He lives and works in Beijing.
“When creating my works, I prefer locations that can tell the story of human society and its evolution,” said Liu Bolin. “Engaging with Abruzzo—a region that is new to me and rich in identity—is a great honor, made even more meaningful in the year that L’Aquila is the Italian Capital of Culture. Through these performances, I aim to create a dialogue between human presence and the landscape, inviting the public to look beyond the visible and rediscover the symbolic and cultural value of these places.”
The Three Performances: Venues, Dates, and Times
Thursday, June 11 — Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, L’Aquila
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Piazzale Collemaggio 5, L’Aquila
The first performance takes place in front of one of the most iconic monuments in L’Aquila and in all of medieval Italy: the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, with its white and pink stone façade overlooking the square of the same name. Here, Liu Bolin will begin the lengthy process of preparing his body painting, blending seamlessly with the geometric patterns and colors of the Romanesque façade, before capturing the final photograph.
Friday, June 12 — Rocca Calascio
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Località Rocca Calascio snc, Calascio (L’Aquila)
The second performance takes Liu Bolin to over 1,400 meters above sea level, at the site of the Rocca Calascio Castle: the medieval fortress of Gran Sasso, one of the highest in Italy and among the most photographed in Europe, which has previously served as an international film set. A setting of exceptional scenic grandeur that tests the artist’s ability to blend into the stone, the sky, and the Apennine horizon.
Saturday, June 13 — Pescasseroli, Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Monte Tranquillo dirt road, Pescasseroli
The third and final performance takes the project to the green heart of the Apennines: the centuries-old forests of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park in Pescasseroli. The project is carried out in collaboration with ARTEPARCO, the initiative that has been promoting dialogue between contemporary art and nature within the park since 2018. Here, Liu Bolin engages not with man-made stone but with the natural landscape, attempting to blend into the forest.
Attending the performances: what to expect
Each event is open to the public and offers a rare opportunity: to witness firsthand Liu Bolin’s entire creative process, from the preparation of the body paint—which can take several hours of manual work by the artist’s team—to the framing of the photographic composition, right up to the final shot. Not an exhibition, but an artistic act in progress.
In October: the exhibition at Palazzo Margherita
The three photographs taken during the June performances will be the centerpiece of an exhibition set to open inOctober 2026 at Palazzo Margherita, a historic building in L’Aquila that houses the city hall. The exhibition will bring the “Oltre il visibile” project full circle, transforming ephemeral performances into works that can be experienced permanently.
Institutional Voices
“The presence in Abruzzo of an internationally renowned artist like Liu Bolin represents an important opportunity to highlight the historical, cultural, and scenic heritage not only of L’Aquila but of the entire region through the language of contemporary art,”, said themayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi. “Beyond the Visible is one of the flagship events of the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026—a project that brings together the region’s iconic landmarks and contemporary creativity, helping to convey its identity to an ever-wider audience.”
“Beyond the Visible” is a project sponsored by Geely Auto, in collaboration with Galleria Gaburro, as part of the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026.