Zig Zag Festival

JUNE 8–12, 2026 ZIG ZAG FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK
A program of events about illustration and comics in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Illustration is a field through which Italy and New York have engaged with an ongoing and vital exchange of ideas, projects, and relationships among artists, bringing together related, yet distinct, visual imagery and imaginations. From this common ground, the idea of offering a glimpse into the panorama of Italian illustration in New York was born, fostering a fertile encounter between two cultures at that very crossroads that has welcomed great Italian artists at different times, from Fortunato Depero to Massimo Vignelli, from Leo Lionni to Emiliano Ponzi.

From June 8 to 12, 2026, Bologna Children's Book Fair will be in New York for the debut edition of Zig Zag: a visual bridge between Italy and the United States, a festival dedicated to illustration, exchange, and experimentation in visual storytelling between the two countries.

The festival is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York. The curatorship is by Steven Guarnaccia, an award-winning American illustrator and designer whose long creative relationship with Italy includes working with leading publishing and cultural institutions; Hamelin, one of Italy's most important cultural associations dedicated to children's literature, comics, and illustration for over twenty years; and Bologna Children's Book Fair. The initiative aims to promote meaningful cultural exchange and offer new perspectives on contemporary visual storytelling.

Zig Zag will highlight the richness of contemporary Italian illustration through a program of talks, conversations, and events taking place at some of the key locations in New York dedicated to illustration and visual culture.

This year's guests include: Mac Barnett, Debbie Bibo, Nicholas Blechman, Marianna Coppo, Kirsten Hall, Emiliano Ponzi, Cecilia Ruiz, Felicita Sala, and Olimpia Zagnoli.

In addition to the Institute's central role, the festival relies on a rich network of partners who, in the New York area, including strongholds of Italian culture such as the Rizzoli Bookstore, an Italian salon and historic Italian bookshop on Broadway, Sullaluna NYC, a bistro-bookshop dedicated to illustrated books from Italy and the US, and Salotto - Casa IED, a center for research and cultural output in graphics and illustration, managed by Italian creative professionals based in New York and institutions promoting the culture of illustration, such as  the Society of Illustrators, a sanctuary of American illustration and the oldest and most important institution dedicated to illustration; SVA School of Visual Arts, which trains young talent through its MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Program.

Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York
Curated by Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia
in collaboration with the Bologna Children's Book Fair