Visionary Painting Brought to Florence

The project will bring John Edmiston’s visionary paintings to a growing international audience at the XVI Florence Biennale in 2027. The 2025 edition welcomed more than 21,000 visitors. 

John’s paintings are created quickly during altered trance states that usually last between two and three hours. Working instinctively and without a predetermined composition, he considers each painting a physical trace of an inner encounter. Their small scale creates an unusually direct and intense relationship with the viewer.

The 4-metre presentation will bring together approximately 20 carefully selected paintings in a coherent visual display. The project will include the preparation, framing, transport, installation and documentation of the works. Presented together, the paintings will invite viewers into a complete inner world shaped by Edmiston’s visionary practice.

The Florence Biennale provides a powerful international context in which this body of work can be experienced. Participation will introduce John’s practice to a wider audience while supporting new conversations with curators, collectors and cultural partners. The project’s impact will continue beyond the Biennale through its documentation, the relationships formed and the future opportunities created around the exhibition.