Bologna Children’s Book Fair, together with the Region of Emilia-Romagna, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, are present at Expo 2020 Dubai with the Exhibition Italian Excellence: The New Generation of Italian Children’s Illustration.

Inaugurated online in partnership with the ATER Foundation for the 58^th Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Exhibition will be in the United Arab Emirates as a special event at Dubai from 16 – 22 January 2022 in the Short Stories area of the Italy Pavilion dedicated to temporary shows. During autumn, the Italian Institute of Culture based in Abu Dhabi will be taking the Exhibition to the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) where Italy will be a guest of honor.

The Exhibition kicks off the extensive cultural programme Italy will be fielding at SIBF. The broad spectrum of events – including the performing arts, concerts, and workshops – is designed to promote a deeper understanding in the United Arab Emirates of Italy’s vast cultural heritage.

After the worldwide success of the previous two editions of Italian Excellence – Illustration for Children and Illustrators for Gianni Rodari – which toured a total of over 30 countries, Bologna Children‘s Book Fair continues its promotion of Italian children’s illustration with the 3^rd edition: Italian Excellence. The New Generation of Italian Children’s Illustrators.  Organized by Bologna Children’s Book Fair/BolognaFiere, in partnership with the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The show is curated by Giannino Stoppani Cooperative/Accademia Drosselmeier. Twenty young illustrators were chosen from among Italy’s most promising talents for their ability to make their illustrations resonate with the written text, creating a unique work, thanks to their innovative take on Italy’s longstanding tradition of illustration excellence.

The artists use a wide variety of techniques, from free drawing and digital design to mixed systems. The different techniques reflect a broad visual poetic on an equally broad range of subjects: from the classics and fairy stories to Dante’s poetry.  The result is an exceptional series of new and surprising publishing proposals. The Exhibition now takes these refreshing proposals for children’s publishing to Expo 2020 Dubai.

Works on show by: Giacomo Agnello Modica, Andrea Antinori, Michael Bardeggia, Beatrice Cerocchi, Marianna Coppo, Francesca Corso, Cecilia Ferri, Chiara Ficarelli, Marta Pantaleo, Giulia Pastorino, Irene Penazzi, Alice Piaggio, Camilla Pintonato, Michelangelo Rossato, Veronica Ruffato, Lorenzo Sangió, Francesca Sanna, Luca Tagliafico, Giulia Tomai, and Veronica Truttero.