New collaboration includes global fairs and support for socially engaged artists
Zegna has entered a multi-year global partnership with Art Basel, formalizing its longstanding involvement in the contemporary art world. The agreement spans all four Art Basel fairs—Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, and Hong Kong—and reflects Zegna’s continued interest in supporting cultural initiatives with social and environmental dimensions.
The collaboration aligns with Zegna’s approach to integrating art and community, a principle rooted in its origins. In the 1920s, founder Ermenegildo Zegna began commissioning local artists to contribute to the visual environment of Trivero and the company’s wool mill, now located in the area known as Oasi Zegna in the Italian Alps. Artists like Ettore Pistoletto Olivero and Otto Maraini produced works that included public staircases, fountains, and friezes, reflecting the idea that industry and aesthetics could coexist. Later, international figures such as Daniel Buren, Dan Graham, and Roman Signer were invited to create site-specific installations not tied to commercial objectives.
The company has also supported artists globally through bespoke projects. These include wool-based trophies by Graham Sutherland, Not Vital, and Kiki Smith, and in-store installations by William Kentridge, Mimmo Jodice, and Ettore Spalletti. A notable example is Woolen—The Reinstated Apple by Michelangelo Pistoletto at Zegna’s Milan headquarters. “Art has always been part of ZEGNA’s identity as a language of values,” the company stated.
The Art Basel partnership will serve as a new platform for “Visible,” a project co-initiated by Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto and Fondazione Zegna that funds artists working on socially engaged practices. Vincenzo De Bellis, Art Basel’s Director of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms, will join the project’s steering committee. “I’m honoured to join the ‘Visible’ Steering Committee and deepen our shared commitment to art as a driver of social and environmental change. Through this partnership with Zegna and Cittadellarte–Fondazione Pistoletto, we’re supporting artists who use their practice to address today’s most urgent challenges and shape more resilient futures,” said De Bellis.
Gildo Zegna, Chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, added: “For over a century, our family has believed in the power of art to elevate places, enrich lives, and shape culture. This partnership with Art Basel and Cittadellarte is a natural evolution of that belief—a way to honor our legacy while looking forward. At Zegna, we see art not as embellishment, but as an agent of change. By supporting socially engaged artists through the ‘Visible’ project, we’re reinforcing our commitment to a future where creativity, community, and responsibility can thrive together.”
The initiative builds on a generational link. Michelangelo Pistoletto’s father, Ettore, was one of the first artists commissioned by Ermenegildo Zegna. This early connection informs the project’s philosophy: that art should be present where daily life unfolds, not only in designated venues.
At Art Basel in Basel this June, Zegna will introduce the 2025 recipients of the Visible Situated Fellowships. The announcement will also acknowledge Michelangelo Pistoletto’s recent nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing his career-long effort to connect art with social action.
The agreement marks a new public-facing chapter in Zegna’s cultural strategy, bringing broader attention to a legacy it has sustained for decades. Rather than branding, the company states this is a continuation of its belief that “the change we make in the world today will be the legacy we leave behind tomorrow.”
