Diego Marcon, an artist known for his radical rethinking of cinema, sound, and space, makes his U.S. debut at the Renaissance Society this September. Marcon’s practice is rooted in entertainment and structural cinema—eschewing traditional storytelling to explore the mechanics of filmmaking itself. His works challenge the hierarchy between subject and image, dissolving narrative into abstraction. For this exhibition, Marcon presents Krapfen, a newly commissioned musical dance film that stages an encounter between the kid, performed by dancer Violet Savage, and four characters represented by costume props: gloves, foulard, trousers, and pullover. Krapfen is also an encounter between the golden age of American animation and Italian opera. The choreography—a mix of contemporary dance, classical ballet, and popular entertainment forms—reflects the juxtaposition of traditional and digital filmmaking processes, a hallmark of Marcon’s practice.

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Curated by Myriam Ben Salah.

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DIEGO MARCON (b. 1985, Busto Arsizio, Italy) graduated from IUAV University of Arts of Venice (2012). Marcon has exhibited internationally with solo presentations including ToonsTunes (Four Pathetic Movements), The Shop at Sadie Coles HQ, London (2025); La Gola, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna (2024); La Gola, Kunstverein in Hamburg (2024); Dolle,  Sadie Coles HQ, London, and Galerie Buchholz, Berlin (2023);  Have You Checked the Children,  Kunsthalle Basel (2023);  Glassa,  Centro Pecci, Prato (2023);  Dramoletti, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Teatro Gerolamo, Milan (2023);  Monelle, Sadie Coles HQ, London (2023);  The Parents’ Room, Museo Madre, Naples (2021);  and Ludwig, Institute of Contemporary Art Singapore/LASALLE, Singapore (2019). Marcon’s films have featured in festivals including Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight; International Film Festival Rotterdam; Vienna International Film Festival; Festival du nouveau cinéma, Montreal; and BFI London Film Festival, among others. Marcon currently lives and works in Italy.

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Lead support for this exhibition at the Renaissance Society is provided by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Additional thanks to Frost Chicago.

Diego Marcon’s Krapfen is co-commissioned and made possible by Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Lafayette Anticipations, New Museum, the Renaissance Society, and The Vega Foundation with additional support from Sadie Coles HQ, London, and Galerie Buchholz, Berlin/Cologne/New York.