In the heart of the Po Valley, among the silences of the countryside, the Benedictine monastery of Polirone in San Benedetto Po (MN), a sacred and magical place whose origins date back to the early Middle Ages around the year 1000, is preparing to host an art event of great charm, capable of creating a blend between the art of Italian classicism and the best expression of contemporary creativity.

From April 13 to May 11, 2025, in fact, in the complex that preserves the remains of masters such as Correggio and Giulio Romano and has hosted cultural figures such as Martin Luther, Giorgio Vasari, Torquato Tasso, and Palladio, the exhibition event by Jisbar (1989), one of the most appreciated and acclaimed representatives of international street art, will take place. His career already boasts prestigious collaborations with brands such as Patek Philippe, JM Westom, Armani, BMW, Ducati, and famous sports champions like Fabio Quartararo and Kylian Mbappé.

A choice not random, but almost necessary, given that the most characteristic expressive feature of the French artist lies in the reinterpretations of ancient art masterpieces, from Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus, from Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring to Edvard Munch's The Scream, on which he inserts a kaleidoscope of pop culture references.

The exhibition, titled Timeless Icons, set up in the monastic refectory of Polirone, curated by Sandie Zanini, organized by Zanini Arte, with the patronage of the City of San Benedetto Po, the Lombardy Region, and the Province of Mantua, will unfold in a visual journey of over 25 unpublished canvases, in a play of contrasts and harmonies, where each work bridges the memory of the place and the artist's visions.

The path, divided into three sections, starts from the sixteenth-century Last Supper by Girolamo Bonsignori (1472-1529), located inside the contemporary fresco by Correggio, specially created for the Refectory at the beginning of the 16th century as a tribute to the territory and its strong Renaissance tradition.

The first section, dedicated to Classicism, opens with a tribute to the masterpieces of Italian art history: Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David, Amore and Psyche, the Three Graces by Antonio Canova, up to the Mona Lisa, Jisbar's favorite subject that has consecrated him internationally. In 2019, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death, one of his interpretations of the Leonardo masterpiece was sent into the stratosphere, at 33.4 kilometers altitude, carried on a carbon capsule built for the occasion.

The exhibition continues with a tribute to the icons of 20th-century contemporary art, from Andy Warhol to Michel Basquiat, from Frida Kahlo to Pablo Picasso, all masters who have inspired Jisbar's painting in daily life. It is completed with works that reinterpret the symbols of pop culture that permeate society, crossing all arts, from cinema to music, from sports to fashion; his works indeed contain references to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jordan, Kate Moss, luxury brands like Ferrari, Rolex, Patek Philippe, and others.