“There is nothing more irresistible to an artist than an invitation to come to Italy, and Rome in particular,” Pepi Marchetti Franchi, founding director of Gagosian Rome, tells me. And she’s right. For centuries, the Eternal City has captivated imaginations with its legendary stories of gladiators; its gorgeous cityscape of travertine temples, baroque palaces, and iconic domes; and its unforgettable umbrella pines.

Rome is and has been the Grand Tour dream destination; however, with more than 25,000 years of history visible at every turn, the city can feel weighed down by its past, and even with its magnetic pull, “contemporary” has rarely been an adjective associated with Caput Mundi. That’s now changed.