When an art festival doubles as a bridge between two continents, the result is more than a cultural event—it’s a statement about how digital creativity can connect communities separated by geography. The Italia Media Art Festival (IMAF) is doing exactly that in 2026, with a program that stretches from Rome to Maracaibo and culminates in a grand exhibition outside the Italian capital.
IMAF 2026 presents 17 video artworks in Rome, then heads to Maker Faire and Caracas before its Grand International Exhibition in Zagarolo, November 20–22.
ROMA, ROME, ITALY, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The third edition of the Italia Media Art Festival (IMAF) is set to weave together digital art, technological innovation and audiovisual experimentation through an international itinerary linking Italy and Venezuela. The Festival’s official Italian premiere is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, at 3:00 PM, in the Conference Hall of Università degli Studi di Roma UnitelmaSapienza, located at Piazza Sassari 4, Rome.
That kickoff event launches a broader sequence: participation at Maker Faire Rome from October 23–25, a special screening at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) in Caracas on October 30, and the capstone Grand International Exhibition at Palazzo Rospigliosi in Zagarolo from November 20–22.
The Rome premiere will feature 17 video artworks—13 chosen through an international Open Call supported by Enel, plus four pieces by invited artists. Additionally, the Festival will unveil 11 video installation projects and announce which artistic performances have been selected for the concluding exhibition in Zagarolo.
Several prominent figures will speak at the official presentation: Alessandro Zehentner, Chairman of Snam; Maria Chiara Iannarelli, Regional Councillor of Lazio; Massimiliano Padovan Di Benedetto, President of Associazione Kou, which promotes Rome Art Week; and Marinellys Tremamunno, Founder and Artistic Director of IMAF. Roberto Sciarrone, Head of Communications at UnitelmaSapienza, will moderate the event.
Artists Anastasia Pavlova, Ivan Andre, Claudio Marani, Victoria Thomen, Mariia Plekhova and Joseph Ayerle will also be on hand, giving attendees a chance to learn about the creative processes behind their works.
For those who cannot attend in person, the presentation will be livestreamed on UnitelmaSapienza’s official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UnitelmaSapienza_yt
An International Festival Connecting Italy and Venezuela
The Italian premiere arrives on the heels of the World Premiere held October 20 in Maracaibo, Venezuela, at the Centro de Bellas Artes – Ateneo de Maracaibo. This cross-border expansion underscores the Festival’s dedication to fostering artistic exchange between communities on different continents.
The Venezuelan premiere was made possible with the involvement of Jimmy Yánez, IMAF’s Artistic Director for Latin America, who co-curated the Video Art selection alongside Tremamunno.
“For me, this premiere also holds a deeply personal meaning. I am of Venezuelan origin, and my connection to this country is part of my history and identity. Art has the power to build bridges between different communities and experiences,” says Tremamunno, an Italian-Venezuelan journalist and the Festival’s founder.
The international programming continues on October 30 at 11:00 AM with a Special Screening at the Espacio Americano Grace Hopper, situated at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) in Caracas.
Energy as a Force for Transformation
Established in 2024 and promoted by Associazione Piccola Venezia APS, IMAF serves as an international platform devoted to artistic creation through emerging technologies, encouraging dialogue among artists, audiences, institutions and the innovation sector.
The 2026 curatorial theme, “The Energy That Transforms: Human and Spiritual Strength Becoming Action for the Future,” prompts artists to consider energy as a transformative force that reaches beyond its physical and technological dimensions.
This year’s edition drew 144 international submissions—the largest number since the Festival’s inception—signaling growing interest in artistic experimentation at the crossroads of creativity, technology and contemporary social concerns.
“Technology is part of this exploration, including artificial intelligence, but the questions arise from our human experience: how we relate to one another, what we remember, what kind of world we are building, and what responsibility we have toward it,” explains Tremamunno.
The Festival receives backing from Enel, which sponsors the Video Art & Performance Open Call, and Snam, which sponsors the Video Installations Open Call, with collaboration from Rome Art Week, Maker Faire Rome and UnitelmaSapienza.
IMAF at Maker Faire Rome 2026
From October 23 to 25, IMAF will take part in Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition at the Gazometro Ostiense (Stand E0).
Attendees will encounter screenings of selected video artworks alongside interactive installations that blend creativity with emerging technologies.
This presence brings contemporary media art to a broader public, inviting engagement with immersive artistic experiences and novel forms of visual expression.
Through its installations and screenings, IMAF will examine energy not merely as a technological resource but also as a human and spiritual force capable of inspiring transformation.
The Grand International Exhibition in Zagarolo
The Festival’s final leg runs November 20–22 at Palazzo Rospigliosi in Zagarolo, organized in partnership with the Lazio Region through Lazio Innova and the Palazzo Rospigliosi Institution of the Municipality of Zagarolo.
Curated by Marinellys Tremamunno and Mariia Plekhova, the exhibition will present 17 video artworks and 11 video installations, mixing projects chosen through international Open Calls with works by invited artists, including Plekhova herself.
The display will span virtual reality, artificial intelligence, interactive installations and audiovisual experimentation, alongside traditional visual artworks. This convergence of digital and conventional artistic practices will prompt reflection on the interplay between technology, human creativity and cultural heritage.
Live artistic performances—whose participants will be revealed during the October 22 premiere—will broaden the exhibition’s interdisciplinary scope.
For IMAF, partnering with Lazio Innova marks a notable milestone in its evolution, linking contemporary artistic research with institutional efforts that support innovation and creative industries.
The exhibition dovetails with the activities of Lazio Innova’s Spazio Attivo Network and FabLab Lazio, as well as Zagarolo Game City, an acceleration program focused on the gaming sector and digital entrepreneurship.
“This edition represents a turning point for us. Palazzo Rospigliosi and our collaboration with Lazio Innova provide digital art with an institutional setting worthy of its ambitions,” emphasizes Tremamunno.
The Grand International Exhibition opens Friday, November 20, at 5:00 PM. Admission is free on November 21 and 22 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with last entry at 6:00 PM.
Through its expanding international network and partnerships, IMAF continues to advance its mission of positioning media art as a venue for artistic innovation, cultural exchange and forward-looking reflection.
More information: www.italiamediaartfestival.it
Instagram: @italiamediaartfestival
Marinellys Tremamunno Arcila
ITALIA MEDIA ART FESTIVAL
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Why it matters: By pairing a record number of international submissions with institutional partnerships on two continents, IMAF is positioning digital and AI-driven art as a legitimate force in cultural diplomacy. The festival’s growth signals that media art is no longer a niche pursuit but a growing arena where technology, creativity and social questions increasingly converge.
