The Festival and The Night of Archives
From June 4 to 7, Archivissima sets out in search of “what is not there.” Questioning archives and institutions to understand the sound of silence and absence.
For the 2026 edition, over 500 institutions, 25% new members, 20 local and thematic networks, and 250 in-person events across the country—along with a full live program in Turin and hundreds of exclusive digital contents—confirm once again that Archivissima is the most anticipated celebration for the world of archives. The Night of Archives reaffirms its role as a unique journey in Italy and Europe, dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of historical heritage and institutions.
Archivissima special a hectare of sky
the night of archives and for us, the stars
video the indiscreet eye
podcast white shadows
stories only words
archives time behind time
To win the sky, to earn the sun
What I do not have
— Fabrizio De André
The image for the Archivissima 26 poster belongs to the Publifoto Intesa Sanpaolo Archive.
The photograph, taken on June 7, 1949, depicts a woman on a Vespa, looking at posters of various tourist destinations. Her gaze is directed upwards, along a line of sight that extends beyond the advertisements toward something unseen.
It is “what is not there”: something yet to come, the evocation of a desire, the symbol of hope.
The indeterminate also leaves room for its double: absence, removal, the unfinished, all surfacing through the details of the image—a fragment of a poster, a blurred silhouette, an outline yet to be drawn.
Connecting these signs and their meaning is a gesture still to be made: the act of connecting the dots with a solid line, giving them shape and existence.