While Florence, Venice, and Rome carry the weight of the country’s historical masterpieces, it’s in Milan that you’ll find a thriving contemporary arts community. The Lombard capital is home to a network of visionary gallerists dedicated to exhibiting cutting-edge works that point to the future; for Raffaella Cortese, who founded her namesake space nearly three decades ago, this avant-garde spirit helps to uphold the city’s reputation as a major hub for all forms of creativity, stating, “Milan’s internationality–and its openness to the new–play a major role in making it a contemporary city that attracts not only contemporary art, but also contemporary architecture, fashion, and design.”
Unlike other cultural capitals around the world, where galleries are often concentrated within a single neighborhood, Milan’s art spaces can be found throughout the city, ensuring that a breathtaking work of art is never far. Inside these venues, museum-quality exhibitions are on view for avid collectors and casual visitors alike. From boundary-pushing installations to gestural figurative painting and everything in between, the city’s plethora of contemporary galleries are proof that Milan remains Italy’s most culturally diverse city.
Here, we’ve narrowed down 11 of our favorite can’t-miss art galleries to visit next time you’re in Milan.
ABC-ARTE ONE OF
Via Santa Croce 21
While ABC-ARTE’s historic Genovese flagship dedicates itself to presenting post-war art by figures such as Hermann Nitsch, Giorgio Griffa, and Tomas Rajlich, visitors to the Milanese space–which goes by the name of ABC-ARTE ONE OF–can look forward to experimental, site-specific exhibitions by a younger roster of international artists.
This fall, the gallery will present an exhibition of carved panel paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Zach Harris, on view at its Milan space from October 24th until December 14th, 2024.
Cardi Gallery
Corso di Porta Nuova 38
Renato Cardi initially opened his namesake gallery in 1972 as a way to share his private collection, which included works by Cy Twombly, Lucio Fontana, and Piero Manzoni, all of whom were relatively unknown at the time. It wasn’t long before the gallery gained a reputation for championing artists early in their careers. Today, Renato’s son oversees the family business, ensuring it upholds its status as a major player in Milan’s cultural landscape with an exhibitions program featuring artists from Arte Povera (an Italian art movement originally coined in the 1960s that translates to “poor art”), Minimalism, and Zero Group movements.
MASSIMODECARLO
Viale Lombardia 17
MASSIMODECARLO first opened its doors in 1987 and has played a fundamental role in shaping Milan’s contemporary arts community ever since. Boasting a cross-disciplinary program that spans painting, drawing, installation, sculpture, photography, performance, and video, the gallery’s line-up includes globally celebrated artists such as Maurizio Cattelan––whose work can also be admired across town in Piazza Affari with the public installation L.O.V.E.––and Carsten Höller––whose work Upside Down Mushroom Room is also on permanent display in the Fondazione Prada exhibition Atlas.
Reflecting on the evolution of Milan since the gallery’s early days, founder Massimo De Carlo notes, “In almost four decades, the gallery has witnessed firsthand the city’s metamorphosis and its blossoming into a more plural artistic ecosystem. The appearance of new galleries and private institutions, the changing dynamics among artists, curators, and collectors––all of these changes are making space for new artistic endeavors that are still very much infused with the charming pace of Milan’s lifestyle.”
Galleria Raffaella Cortese
Via A. Stradella 7–1–4
Comprising three buildings along the same block in Milan’s Città Studi district, Raffaella Cortese is recognized as one of the first gallerists to bring the work of female American artists to Italian audiences in the 1990s. Looking back at how the city’s community of art gallerists has grown, Cortese recounts, “In 1987, there were only a few male gallerists. Now, it’s more diverse, with more women and younger generations actively shaping Milan’s art scene. This has transformed the city into the most important Italian hub for contemporary art.”
Today, the gallery continues to dedicate its programming towards representing female artists with presentations highlighting critical themes such as individual, political, and national identities; the body, language, and literature, as well as issues of feminism, femininity, and gender. Artists represented include Joan Jonas, Zoe Leonard, and Ana Mendieta, to name a few.
kaufmann repetto
Via di Porta Tenaglia 7
With a focus on video and site-specific installations, kaufmann repetto follows in Cortese’s footsteps by spotlighting the work of female artists. Located in Milan’s ultra-chic Brera district, the gallery, which was designed by architect Frank Boehm, includes an expansive courtyard for exhibiting outdoor works.
Loom Gallery
Piazza Luigi di Savoia 24
Situated just a few steps away from Milan’s Central Station, LOOM has been showcasing minimal and conceptual works since 2015. Working with both emerging and established artists, the gallery also regularly collaborates with archives and estates for acclaimed figures such as Helmut Newton and Man Ray.
Gió Marconi Gallery
Via Tadino 15
Since its inception in 1990, Gió Marconi Gallery has built a program that prides itself on staying consistently ahead of the curve. Though its focus is on contemporary art, the gallery has expanded its scope to include historical works by artists from Studio Marconi––a now-closed space that was originally founded by Gió’s father, Giorgio, and ran from 1965 – 1992––in its program.
Peres Projects
Piazza Belgioioso 2
A relative newcomer to Milan’s gallery scene, Peres Projects opened its Italian outpost in 2022, but founder Javier Peres has spent over three decades nurturing ambitious projects by his roster of international artists from the gallery’s Berlin headquarters.
Sharing his thoughts on Milan’s one-of-a-kind contemporary arts community, Peres notes, “Milan is a very dynamic city where art blends into other cultural spheres such as fashion, which gives it a unique perspective. There are some incredible galleries here that have truly shaped the Italian––and indeed global––art scene that have been operating from Milan for a very long time. The city also has incredible cultural institutions, which cover the history of art with incredible depth, making it an exciting place for contemporary artists to exhibit.”
Lia Rumma Gallery
Via Stilicone, 19
Originally hailing from Naples, Lia Rumma Gallery opened its Milan location in 1999. Both locations have a storied history in Italy’s contemporary arts community, with Lia Rumma playing a key role in showcasing Minimal Art, Land Art, and Conceptual Art, and exhibiting emerging artists along with art world superstars such as Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge, and Marina Abramović.
After stopping by Lia Rumma Gallery, we suggest taking the metro to Pirelli HangarBiccoca for Kiefer’s The Seven Heavenly Palaces, a massive permanent installation that was brought to fruition with assistance from the gallery.
Christian Stein Gallery
Corso Monforte 23
Despite its name, Christian Stein Gallery was actually established by Margherita Stein, a Torinese gallerist who used her husband’s name as an alias to gain acceptance in the male-dominated art world. An early advocate of Arte Povera since its opening in 1966, Christian Stein Gallery continues to support artists associated with the movement including Luciano Fabro, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Matta
Corso Sempione 33
Co-founded in 2022 by a team of art world veterans, Matta started out as a series of pop-up exhibitions presented in Milan, Rome, Salina, Torino, and Paris, with past shows held at unique venues including the Basilica di San Celso. Today the gallery has a permanent home in Milan, located near Parco Sempione, which is open to the public by appointment. There, visitors can expect to discover works by young and emerging artists.
