In 1971 Aldo Incitti opened the “Il Babuino” art gallery

In the basement rooms at number 89, with entrance from a side door on the right, inside the entrance of the historic building, the “Il Babuino” art gallery was accessed by going down a flight of stairs.

In reality, an art gallery already existed before, run by a struggling nobleman. Aldo Incitti, in his early twenties, took over its management, thus founding the historic art gallery "Il Babuino."

He appointed Ugo Moretti, writer and poet, as artistic director. He had won the “Fontane di Roma” prize with his first novel, “Vento Caldo,” which snatched the prestigious award from Moravia.

The Babuino: Art and History of a Rebel Gallery

There's a basement on Via del Babuino, a discreet place with an entrance that could almost go unnoticed, hidden among the folds of an ancient building. Going down a flight of stairs, you find yourself in a space that, since 1971, has breathed art in all its forms: the Il Babuino Art Gallery.

But calling it just a "gallery" would be reductive. Under the guidance of Aldo Incitti and artistic director Ugo Moretti, this space has challenged conventions, taken on cultural and political challenges, and given rise to a continuous movement of ideas, visions, and provocations.

The Origins: Young Visionaries in a Historic Building

When Aldo Incitti, in his early twenties, took over the management of what was a small art gallery in decline, he transformed it into something much bigger.

The Il Babuino Art Gallery was officially born, a visionary project that combined Incitti's passion with the intellectual sensitivity of Ugo Moretti, writer and poet, already winner of the prestigious "Fontane di Roma" award for his novel Hot Wind .

Theirs was an alliance of purpose, a shared desire to make art a living, open experience, never confined to the usual elitist circuits.

The Babuino was not just an exhibition space, but a laboratory of ideas, a platform to give voice to those who challenged the rules.

Three Decades of Challenges and Provocations

Galleria Il Babuino has never been a "comfortable" place. For three decades, it explored every corner of art, challenging not only the public but also the cultural and political system of the time. It didn't just exhibit paintings and sculptures: it organized events that were true manifestos of freedom and provocation.

The gallery had a clear mission: to promote authentic art, art that escapes the dictates of the market and passing fads. For this reason, it paid particular attention to engaging emerging and unknown artists, not for their fame, but for the quality of their work and the courage of their ideas. It was a place where talent could find space regardless of the artist's name, a creative laboratory where art was judged solely by its expressive power.

Thanks to this bold vision, Il Babuino has been a launching pad for dozens of artists who, through its exhibitions, have found their first opportunity to engage with the public and the art world. Many of these artists, initially unknown, have gone on to become prominent figures, carrying with them the legacy of a gallery that recognized their potential before others did.

The many solo and group exhibitions organized by Il Babuino were not just exhibitions, but genuine acts of faith in emerging talent. Each event was conceived as an opportunity to give voice to those who wanted to tell something new, those who challenged convention, those who sought to emerge in an often closed and selective art scene.

This daily commitment, combined with an open and unconventional artistic vision, has made Galleria Il Babuino a unique place: a platform of freedom where art, provocation, and discovery intertwine to create something unique.

International Exhibition of Erotic Art

In the 1970s, when the debate on eroticism in art was still fraught with taboos, Aldo Incittti organized an international exhibition dedicated to erotic art at the “Il Babuino” Gallery.

It wasn't just an aesthetic provocation, but a political act, an open challenge to a society that still imposed rigid limits on freedom of expression. The exhibition was a hymn to the beauty of the body and desire, an affirmation of the centrality of art as a universal language capable of exploring the depths of the human being.

Criticism soon followed. Many considered the exhibition scandalous: the gallery was accused of seeking quick publicity, of attempting to shock without any real substance. But Aldo Incitti and Ugo Moretti responded firmly, letting the works speak for themselves. The works on display were never banal: bold, yes, but also refined, created by artists who transformed eroticism into a poetic and universal interpretation, far removed from vulgarity.

The exhibition, with its provocative power and its message of freedom, did not leave indifferent even the passers-by and the anonymous spectators who could not access the exhibition, also due to the outcry generated by the seizure.

Many, deeply moved by the works on display or the gallery's message, began leaving artworks on the door of the Galleria Il Babuino, often in the silence of the night. They were small paintings, drawings, and sculptures, sometimes accompanied by passionate letters, almost always anonymous, expressing gratitude, solidarity, or simply the desire to contribute to this act of cultural rebellion.

These gestures, though subtle, became an integral part of the event's history. Incitti and Moretti welcomed them with emotion, seeing in them confirmation that art, even in its most controversial form, could speak to consciences, strike a deep chord, and inspire new forms of expression.

Each work left overnight on the threshold of the Babuino gallery was a silent testimony, a sign that that message of freedom and beauty had achieved its purpose: not only to shake up the system, but to ignite new creative sparks, even in the most unexpected places.

The provocation did not remain just a cultural fact, but soon became a national case.

The authorities, unable to tolerate such an openly transgressive event, decided to seize the exhibition, sparking outcry and indignation. The Italian and international press vehemently covered the story: major newspapers headlined that censorship had returned to Italy, warning of the risk of a liberticidal regression at the heart of artistic and social debate.

Yet the public was not intimidated. In the days following the seizure, over 10,000 people flocked to Via del Babuino, clogging the street in an attempt to see at least a portion of the forbidden exhibition. It was a diverse crowd, made up of art enthusiasts, the curious, and defenders of freedom of expression, all united by the desire to oppose an act of censorship they considered anachronistic and unjust.

That episode profoundly affected the history of the gallery and the country. The International Exhibition of Erotic Art was not just an artistic event, but a symbol of cultural resistance, a reminder of the power of art to shake consciences and challenge the limits imposed by society.

For Il Babuino, it was yet another demonstration that art is never neutral: it is always an instrument of freedom, capable of going beyond the boundaries of aesthetics to enter the heart of human and social issues.

Art at the Service of Rights

Il Babuino was not only a temple of art, but also a crossroads for social and civil struggles. During a period of profound political and social tension in Italy, the gallery never remained passive, but rather became a voice for fundamental battles. A prime example was its stance in support of women's right to choose during the public debate on the referendum to legalize abortion.

The referendum, held on May 17, 1974, concerned the law on voluntary termination of pregnancy. The law, passed in 1970 but subject to a popular referendum, faced strong opposition from the most conservative groups in Italian society. The Catholic Church, in particular, had launched a fierce campaign to repeal the law, arguing that abortion was a crime against life. On the other side, progressive forces, feminist movements, and civil rights groups fought to uphold the law and affirm women's right to freely decide about their own bodies.

In this context of great turmoil, Il Babuino decided to take the field with an exhibition that clearly expressed its position. It was not just an artistic initiative, but a political act, uniting the language of art with the fight for women's rights. The gallery became a place of reflection and debate, a safe space where people could discuss, without taboos, freedom of choice, women's struggles, and the changes needed in a society still struggling to fully embrace equal rights.

The exhibition, featuring powerful and direct works, became a point of reference for all those who opposed the idea of ​​a return to restrictive laws on women's health and rights. Art was not only a means of aesthetic expression, but a powerful vehicle for social change. The gallery thus became not only a place of culture, but also a beacon of freedom and justice, uniting the voices of the artists with those of the women and men engaged in this struggle.

The exhibition's success and the large audience participation highlighted the Babuino's central role as a space for activism, capable of addressing the challenges of its time with a clear and decisive voice. When, a few months later, the referendum result confirmed the "Yes" vote and confirmed the abortion law, it was clear that the gallery had played a fundamental role in raising awareness and mobilizing a significant segment of society, contributing to the success of the fight for the right to freedom of choice.

The Comiso missiles

Similarly, in the 1980s, when Italy was deeply divided over the issue of the presence of cruise missiles in Comiso, Il Babuino took a clear and courageous stance. The Cold War, now in its final stages, had heightened international tensions, and Italy, as a NATO member, found itself at the center of a heated debate regarding the possible deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles on its territory.

In 1981, the United States decided to station cruise missiles at Comiso, a strategically important area in Sicily. The base, which was intended to become a launch site for nuclear-tipped missiles, sparked strong opposition in Italy. The risk of nuclear escalation in Europe and the possibility of Italy becoming a primary target in the event of a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union led millions of Italians to take to the streets to demand the withdrawal of the missiles. It was the beginning of a major peace movement, which drew thousands of people to demonstrate for peace, culminating in a series of large-scale protests, including a historic demonstration in Comiso in 1983, attended by over 100,000 people.

In this climate of intense mobilization, Il Babuino did not remain silent. The gallery chose to use art as a tool of denunciation and commitment, launching a series of exhibitions against the installation of missiles in Comiso. The exhibitions were not simple showcases of pacifist art, but true declarations of principle. Through the works on display, the gallery sent an unequivocal message: art cannot be neutral in the face of the threat of war, it cannot remain indifferent when peace is threatened. Every work, every installation, every photograph, every sculpture was a cry against the introduction of nuclear weapons on Italian soil, a call to humanity and the need to stop the folly of war.

The gallery's participation in this pacifist cause was not only a symbolic act, but also a concrete commitment.

Aldo Incitti and Ugo Moretti, through their work, helped raise public awareness of the dangers of nuclear escalation. The works on display not only addressed the theme of war, but also questioned individual and collective responsibility in the face of political decisions that could compromise the future of humanity. The gallery thus became a center of reflection and resistance, a place where art engaged with the political challenges of the moment, raising the awareness that culture can never remain separate from social and political reality.

Il Babuino's stance was part of an Italian cultural landscape experiencing a period of intense political turmoil. The protests against the missiles in Comiso were part of a broader mobilization against the war and its atrocities, a movement that also encompassed other pacifist and antimilitarist movements throughout Europe. Il Babuino's exhibitions, like those organized in support of the anti-missile movement, thus became a symbol of a cultural resistance that sought to foster critical reflection on the use of force and the need for radical change in international politics.

Art, therefore, once again became a powerful form of denunciation, capable of speaking to consciences and mobilizing people against a concrete and imminent threat.

Babuino, as always, sided with peace, freedom, and responsibility, and during that period he helped give voice to those who were calling for a halt to the race toward a new nuclear war.

Homage to Pasolini

Perhaps the most touching chapter in the Babuino's history is linked to the figure of Pier Paolo Pasolini. The gallery didn't just remember the poet and director after his tragic death: it celebrated him with dozens of exhibitions and publications, transforming his name into a symbol of cultural resistance.

Pasolini, with his unconventional voice and his scathing critique of bourgeois society, perfectly embodied the spirit of the Babuino. The exhibitions were not simply commemorations, but opportunities to reread his work in light of new social and cultural conflicts.

Hundreds of Exhibitions and Group Shows

Behind the major events was a constant daily effort. In its three decades of operation, the gallery organized hundreds of solo and group exhibitions, showcasing both established names and emerging young talents. It was a place where artists could meet, exchange ideas, and grow.

Each exhibition was carefully conceived, not just as an opportunity to showcase works, but as a moment of dialogue. The Babuino audience was never passive: they were engaged, challenged, and encouraged to reflect.

A Legacy That Lives in the Present

Today, years later, Il Babuino remains a symbol of what an art gallery can be: not just a physical space, but an idea. A place where art is never merely decoration, but an act of rebellion, of hope, of exploration.

Maurizio Cattelan's Banana, with its provocative and ironic energy, almost seems like an ideal homage to the spirit of Babuino. Like that banana, Babuino challenged the audience to question themselves, to see beyond appearances. Not everyone understood, not everyone appreciated, but everyone, inevitably, was forced to react.

The Art That Never Gives Up

Aldo Incitti and Ugo Moretti had a clear vision: art had to be alive, urgent, and necessary. Their gallery was not just a refuge for artists, but a laboratory of freedom, a place where ideas could be born and grow without fear. Every exhibition, every event, every display was an act of provocation and commitment, an invitation to reflect on the world and its contradictions, a cry for hope and change. Il Babuino gallery didn't simply exhibit works; it sought to stimulate thought, to question certainties, and to encourage the public to look beyond the visible, toward an art that was both a mirror of reality and, at the same time, a tool for transformation.

Today, looking back, we can say that Il Babuino was more than just a gallery: it was a movement, a resistance movement, a declaration of love for art and its power to change the world. The gallery courageously and innovatively intertwined artistic language with the social, political, and cultural struggles of its time, becoming a point of reference for artists, but also for all those who believed in the power of art as a means of communication and denunciation. It was, without a doubt, a place where art had the courage to be unsettling, to pose a constant question, never predictable, always provocative.

And, in a certain sense, Il Babuino continues to be so. Its history is not just a closed chapter in the past, but a legacy that lives on and inspires. Precisely after this time, and under the inspiration of Aldo Incitti and his thought, the Il Babuino Cultural Association was born. This new initiative was born with the intention of taking up the baton left by the gallery, adapting it to modern times. The association aims to continue the cultural and artistic activity that Il Babuino embodied, carrying forward that same vision that sees art as a driver of change, reflection, and freedom.

The Il Babuino Cultural Association seeks to respond to the challenges and needs of the contemporary art scene, while maintaining the approach and philosophy that have distinguished it: an openness to emerging art, a commitment to promoting new voices and languages, and a constant pursuit of innovation and provocation. The association also intends to remain a point of reference for new generations of artists, offering them a place where creativity knows no bounds, where freedom of expression always comes first, and where culture and art continue to be, as they were in the first decades of its existence, instruments of growth and social change.

Il Babuino, therefore, not only left an indelible mark on the past, but also laid the foundation for the future. His legacy lives on today in the new association, ready to renew the challenge that Aldo Incitti and Ugo Moretti undertook so many years ago: to make art a living, urgent force capable of reflecting the reality around us.