Lugano is preparing to welcome a new incursion of contemporary art into urban space. On the occasion of the inauguration of Butterflies in the stomach, the new exhibition by Pietro Terzini, the city centre is transformed into an open-air artistic itinerary.
To accompany the opening, ten businesses in the heart of Lugano will display in their windows some of the most recognizable quotes by the Lodi-born artist, who has been pursuing a research that intertwines visual language, pop culture, and social reflection for years. The initiative involves ANTONIOLI, BIJOUX IO, DAHRA, GROOVY, KOHAKINHO, KURTZ, LA DISPENSA, MION, THE PERFUMERY, and, most significantly, FEDERAL RESTAURANT, which once again confirms itself as a meeting place for culture, conviviality and city life.
The Federale's participation represents one of the most interesting elements of the project: not just a restaurant, but a true landmark in the urban fabric of Lugano, capable of welcoming and amplifying the dialogue between art and the public. In this context, Terzini's words find a natural setting, fitting into a daily, lived-in environment, where the artistic message can reach a broad and diverse audience.
Next to each installation, a QR code will link to the exhibition's Instagram profile, allowing visitors to explore the exhibition's content, information, and details. This digital extension further strengthens the initiative's contemporary and participatory nature.
The artist will be present at today's inauguration, offering the public the opportunity to meet one of the most recognizable names on the contemporary Italian art scene. His recent inclusion among the Top of the Forbes 2025 Forbes Italia's review confirms the relevance of a path capable of impacting not only the art system, but also the broader cultural and creative landscape.
Born in Lodi in 1990, Pietro Terzini has built an artistic practice that straddles the intersection of art, design, and fashion. After graduating with a master's degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan, he developed a personal language based on the use of words, irony, and communicative immediacy. This approach has allowed him to collaborate with international luxury brands such as Tiffany & Co., Stella McCartney, Moncler, and Palm Angels.
His research is also distinguished by a conscious use of digital platforms, from Instagram to TikTok, tools that have helped broaden the scope of contemporary art and redefine its consumption in the 21st century. His works, often constructed around short, striking phrases, engage with universal themes such as love, desire, identity, and consumerism.
The Lugano exhibition is part of a particularly intense exhibition program. Recent events include: Are you in Love? No, I'm in Verona in Verona in 2026, Are you in Love? No, I'm in St. Moritz between 2025 and 2026, the solo show in Milan at the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in 2025, and several international exhibitions in Dubai, London, and Milan. Lugano also represents a significant step in an already consolidated relationship with the gallery, which hosted the exhibition in 2023 (Tra)sh.
With Butterflies in the stomach, open to visitors from 28 April to 26 June 2026, the Lugano headquarters of Kromya Art Gallery renews its focus on the most current languages of contemporary art. The exhibition will be open Tuesday through Friday, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and on Saturdays by appointment. Admission is free.
The decision to exhibit the works outside of traditional exhibition spaces confirms an increasingly prominent trend in the international art scene: that of creating direct connections between art, city, and community. In this sense, the involvement of businesses, and specifically the Ristorante Federale, helps make the experience not just an exhibition, but a fully urban one.
