ZIG ZAG FESTIVAL

Zig Zag: A Visual Bridge Between Italy and the USA is set to launch, a festival entirely dedicated to illustration and to the exchange and experimentation of visual languages between Italy and the United States.

From June 8 to June 12, 2026, New York City will host some of the leading voices in contemporary Italian illustration through a program of talks, conversations, and events taking place at key venues across the city connected to the world of illustration.

Italian and American illustrators, authors, and visual storytellers will come together to celebrate the vitality of the dialogue between the two countries, exploring creative worlds that are at once closely connected and distinctly unique.

The festival is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York. Curated by Steven Guarnaccia and Hamelin, in collaboration with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the festival aims to foster meaningful cultural exchange and inspire new perspectives on contemporary visual storytelling.

Project partners include Rizzoli Bookstore, Society of Illustrators, Salotto – Casa IED, SVA School of Visual Arts, and Sullaluna.nyc.

Among the guests of this edition are Mac Barnett, Debbie Bibo, Nicholas Blechman, Marianna Coppo, Kirsten Hall, Leonard Marcus, Emiliano Ponzi, Giulia Rizzo, Maria Russo, Cecilia Ruiz, Felicita Sala, Riccardo Vecchio, Tara Walker, and Olimpia Zagnoli.

Dates: June 8–12, 2026.