Italy is no longer the heart of the art world. The 2026 Venice Biennale, which is set to commence in May, serves as a stark reminder of this: curator Koyo Kouoh and her team have selected 111 artists, none of whom are Italian. Our country is only represented in the National Pavilion, not in the main exhibition or, for the time being, in any of the city's big exhibitions. While this absence is not wholly unexpected, it is particularly burdensome on the eve of an International Art Exhibition that centers around marginality and its fertility (In Minor Keys). A paradox, given the significant amount of information that Italy has to share on these subjects as a result of its geographical location, history, social composition, and internal tensions. Nevertheless, the Biennale and the primary Venetian institutions are unaware of this development. Previews of the city's shows reinforce this picture: from the Pinault Collection to the Fondazione Prada, via the Gallerie dell'Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Ca' Pesaro, the stated protagonists are all international. Currently, finding an Italian artist is impossible. One can argue that this will be the most international Biennale ever. However, it will undoubtedly be the least Italian. This is not a matter of national pride; it is an indication of a system straining to make its present visible while remaining entrenched in historicized recognition and incapable of meaningfully influencing global debate. Until this gap is faced clearly, the risk is to continue existing only at the margins — even when the world, paradoxically, is talking precisely about margins.