new york 80 at catania, Sicily
NEW YORK 80: A Landmark Exhibition Celebrating the Cultural Revolution of the 1980s Opens in Catania
From 30 January to 12 July 2026, the Palazzo della Cultura in Catania hosts NEW YORK 80. The Cultural Movement That Revolutionized Art, Music and Fashion Worldwide, a major museum exhibition dedicated to one of the most radical and influential decades in contemporary cultural history .
Blade, Aone & Zephyr
Curated by Giuseppe Stagnitta and Marco Mantovani, and promoted by the City of Catania, the exhibition is produced and organized by Metamorfosi Eventi and Emergence Festival, with an accompanying catalogue published by Gangemi Editore. NEW YORK 80 brings together more than 150 artworks from leading international private collections and galleries, offering a comprehensive and immersive exploration of the creative explosion that reshaped global visual culture in the 1980s.
Richard Hambleton painting and sculpture, the Vroom & Varossieau Collection
The exhibition traces the dynamic dialogue between Mainstream and Underground, two seemingly distant yet deeply interconnected worlds. Iconic figures such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Robert Indiana, Joseph Beuys, Robert Morris, Sol LeWitt and Arman are presented alongside key protagonists of the New York underground scene, including James Brown, Ronnie Cutrone, Rammellzee, A-One, Kool Koor, Coco 144 and Richard Hambleton widely regarded as the “godfather of street art” for his legendary Shadowmen interventions across the streets of Manhattan .
Beyond painting and sculpture, NEW YORK 80 expands into photography, video and music. The exhibition features iconic photographs by Helmut Newton, Christopher Makos and Martha Cooper, a celebrated video installation by Henry Chalfant, and rare, previously unseen footage of the New York underground filmed by Alessandra Bergero. A dedicated section explores the rise of MTV, early experimental music videos, hip-hop and rap as new forms of urban poetry, complemented by original records, albums and emblematic street objects from the era.
Helmut Newton pictures of artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and many others
An important curatorial focus highlights the cultural exchange between New York and Italy, including rare photographic documentation provided by Elio Fiorucci, capturing Keith Haring’s presence in Milan and the arrival of the first American graffiti writers in Italy in 1984. Critical texts and first-hand testimonies by Annina Nosei, Elio Fiorucci, Fab 5 Freddy, Patti Astor and other key figures further enrich the historical narrative .
The Vroom & Varossieau Collection and Museum Collaborations
Vroom & Varossieau is proud to support museum-level exhibitions such as NEW YORK 80 through strategic artwork loans, including works by Richard Hambleton presented in this exhibition. Our collection is consistently open to collaborating with museums and cultural institutions, either through loans from our private holdings or via our international network of established collectors. Especially for curators looking for graffiti, early streetart and the art movements of the 80’s and 90’s.
We actively work alongside curators of important exhibitions worldwide, assisting in the sourcing, placement and presentation of exceptional artworks that strengthen curatorial narratives and elevate institutional projects. Supporting ambitious museum exhibitions and contributing to the public visibility of historically significant and museum-quality works remains a core part of Vroom & Varossieau’s mission within the international art ecosystem.
NEW YORK 80 stands as a powerful and timely exhibition, offering audiences an in-depth understanding of how the creative forces of 1980s New York permanently transformed contemporary art, music, fashion and visual culture.
Henry Chalfant pictures
80’s Boomboxes and the introduction of hip hop
