This exhibition presents a selection of works, papers, paintings and sculptures from Vincenzo Paolillo's collection of modern and primitive art. Paolillo was an art connoisseur who decided to donate his collection of modern European and non-European art to the Mart.

This passionate collector's research explored the worlds of Futurism with works by Balla, Boccioni, Severini, Abstractionism, Dadaism with Picabia and Man Ray, the Italian Twentieth Century with Sironi, Martini, and De Pisis, the Informal period with Morlotti, as well as works by Tobey, Bacon and Sutherland.

The group of works related to German Expressionism is particularly important for its uniqueness and size, with pieces by Grosz, Hubbuch, Dix and Radziwill, among others. The Mart's collections will be enhanced by a segment of contemporary art that is still poorly represented, despite the museum's geographical proximity to the German-speaking world.

Vincenzo Paolillo's interest and passion were not only directed at the world of art, but also ethnography and nature. He was a talented photographer, and the exhibition also features photographs from his many exploratory campaigns in the North and South Seas and the most unspoilt regions of Central Africa and Papua New Guinea. Many of these reflect the same love for form and colour that we find in the paintings in his collection.