Alexi Worth in dialogue with ancient ceramics at Gallerie d’Italia – Naples

The exhibition places nine paintings by Alexi Worth in dialogue with three ancient kraters and a hydria from the Caputi Collection, part of the Intesa Sanpaolo holdings. The vases were selected by Richard Neer, Professor of Art History at the University of Chicago, to explore the theme of the symposium and the ritual gestures associated with drinking in ancient Greek culture.

In classical Greek tradition, kraters used during symposia were placed at the centre of the room and became the focal point of the gathering. Around them participants drank wine, discussed ideas, recited poetry and played games. The exhibition echoes this arrangement: ancient vessels occupy the central space, while Worth’s paintings line the walls like participants in a contemporary symposium.

Worth’s paintings present variations on a “symposium for two”. Hands and wine glasses appear against indeterminate backgrounds, rendered with an airbrush technique that combines archaic references with contemporary sensibility.

Using flat forms and a restrained palette dominated by black and terracotta orange tones, the artist explores the relationship between figure and silhouette, realism and abstraction. The compositions focus on the space between face and fingers, creating a visual microcosm that evokes the psychological dimension of the ancient ritual of drinking together.

The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the symposium as a complex social and cultural phenomenon that has inspired artists from the eighth century BCE to the present day.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of free public events and meetings within the #INSIDE programme, together with educational activities designed for schools.

The Naples museum is part of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia network, which also includes venues in Milan, Turin and Vicenza.

The exhibition is open to the public from 3 April to 5 July 2026. For more information, please visit the Gallerie d’Italia website.

1.Seesaw
2020
Mixed media on mesh
68 x 48/45 inches
courtesy of the artist and DC Moore Gallery NY

2.Cratere a colonnette
Pittore di Leningrado
Produzione attica a figure rosse
470 - 460 a.C.
lato A: Scena di culto a Dioniso
lato B: Scena di danza
Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo

3.Hydria (kalpis)
Pittore di Leningrado
Produzione attica a figure rosse
470 - 460 a.C.
raffigurazione: Incoronazione di pittori ceramici da parte di Atena e di due Nikai
Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo

4.Tipping
2020
Mixed media on mesh
68 x 48 inches
courtesy of the artist and DC Moore Gallery NY