Miart 2025 coming soon: the theme of this year's fair is friendship

Miart 2025, the international modern and contemporary art fair in Milan, is preparing to present a new edition that celebrates artistic research and experimentation. The 29th edition of the fair, which will be held April 4-6, 2025 (with VIP preview on Thursday, April 3), is curated by Nicola Ricciardi and presents a renewed program, enriched by the collaboration of a team of experienced curators and professionals, with the intention of delving into the identity and dynamics of the international art scene, without forgetting the deep connection with the Milanese context.

Also this year, the fair hosts 179 galleries from 31 countries and 5 continents, confirming the format of the previous edition.

The choice of the title Among Friends takes inspiration from the latest retrospective dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. The artist, known for his collective approach to art, always maintained that art was an open and shared process. Thus, this edition’s theme is meant to invoke the idea of a mutually supportive artistic community, creating an environment of exchange and growth. A concept that transcends the simple bond between gallerists and artists to embrace a broader vision of collectivity, where sharing and cooperation are at the heart of contemporary art practice.

A journey through the sections of miart 2025

This year’s edition consists of three main sections: Established, Emergent, and Portal. The Established section is dedicated to the historical masters of modern art, with a selection that includes emblematic works from the First and Second Twentieth Centuries alongside contemporary practices that reflect the plurality of artistic languages. In particular, the section offers an opportunity to explore the dialogue between different generations of artists, with monographic exhibitions and museum projects tracing the history of art from the past century, echoing movements such as surrealism, futurism and conceptual art. The Timescape project, part of Established, takes visitors through a journey that combines works from the early decades of the 20th century, creating a connection between past and present and offering reflections on current issues.

Emergent, the section that focuses on more experimental artistic practices, hosts 25 galleries from around the world, each presenting ad hoc works created for the occasion. Curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, the section gives ample space to installations, striking site-specific sculptures and performances that reflect the most innovative and radical trends in the global art scene. The works in Emergent go beyond mere aesthetic enjoyment, inviting the public to question the future of artistic practices, with a focus on research and innovation.

Portal, finally, curated for the first time by Alessio Antoniolli, Director of Triangle Network in London and curator of Fondazione Memmo in Rome, is a section that explores the relationship between geographies, languages and temporalities through a visionary and collective approach. The ten projects presented within Portal reject a univocal worldview, proposing art that interrogates and transcends traditional barriers, inviting harmonious coexistence and collaboration. This approach reflects the ideal of Robert Rauschenberg, who conceived art as a collective process, capable of creating new connections between cultures, languages and experiences. Each project in Portal is an invitation to reflect on how art can break down divisions and offer new visions of reality.

Awards and collaborations at miart 2025

Miart 2025 is also distinguished by its lively program of awards, special initiatives and collaborations with international entities that further enrich the value of the fair. Among the most significant initiatives is the renewed Fondazione Fiera Milano Acquisition Fund, which with a value of 100,000 euros offers an important recognition to one or more works that will expand the Foundation’s collection. In addition, the Herno Prize celebrates the best exhibition project and offers the winning gallery an award of 10,000 euros. Another major prize is the LCA Studio Prize for Emergent, which gives a prize of 4,000 euros to the gallery that presents the best work within the Emergent section.

Miart 2025 also includes the Orbital Cultura - Nexi Group Prize, dedicated to photography, and the Matteo Visconti di Modrone Prize, which rewards an artist with the opportunity to create a work in Fonderia Artistica Battaglia. These initiatives are joined by historic prizes such as the Rotary Club Milano Brera Prize, which acquires a work by a young artist for the Museo del Novecento, and the Massimo Giorgetti Prize, which supports young artists with a cash prize.

Partnerships and institutional collaborations

Miart 2025 also benefits from a series of partnerships that contribute to its uniqueness. Intesa Sanpaolo, the fair’s main partner, will present Robert Rauschenberg’s Blue Exit, one of his famous Combine Paintings, and offer an overview of its art advisory solutions, while Maison Ruinart will present Julian Charrière’s Conversations with Nature series. Elle Decor Italia and Roche Bobois will enrich the visitor experience with high-end design furniture, while ICE - Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies will highlight Italian excellence on the international scene.

An important new feature of this edition is the collaboration with the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, which will have an institutional space dedicated to the promotion of projects supporting Italian artists and creatives, as well as presenting publications and initiatives such as the Italian Council and the Plan for Contemporary Art.

Miart and Fiera Milano, at the heart of supporting art and culture

Miart and Fiera Milano have embraced the principles that guided Robert Rauschenberg’s work: openness to the world, interdisciplinarity and a commitment to dialogue and collaboration. These values have been integrated into the network of relationships that the fair has built over time, transforming it into an engine for a contemporary arts festival that extends far beyond the temporal boundaries of the event. The commitment is embodied in a series of initiatives that celebrate friendship in the arts, a concept that translates into mutual support among all players in the art system: galleries, museums, public and private institutions, artists, curators, collectors and independent spaces. Among these initiatives, talks among friends are one of the most relevant examples. The talks, inaugurated last November, will continue after the fair dates, thanks to the collaboration with important entities such as Fondazione Prada, Museo del Novecento, PAC - Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Pirelli Hangar Bicocca and Triennale Milano. The talks program expresses the commitment of miart and the Milan institutions to promoting synergies between the public and private sectors, expanding horizons beyond the traditional boundaries of individual realities and exploring new disciplines or contaminating public space. The full program is available on the official website. Miart is also part of Milan Art Week, and during the fair, the Rauschenberg and the Twentieth Century exhibition, promoted by the City of Milan in collaboration with miart and Fiera Milano, opens at the Museo del Novecento. Curated by Gianfranco Maraniello and Nicola Ricciardi, the exhibition links the works of Robert Rauschenberg to masterpieces of the Italian twentieth century and creates a dialogue between the American artist’s vision and the Italian art scene of the twentieth century.

At Triennale Milano, the exhibition John Giorno: a labor of LOVE, curated by Nicola Ricciardi and Eleonora Molignani, explores Giorno’s collaborations and friendships with personalities such as Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, Keith Haring, Patti Smith and Andy Warhol. The special program on Saturday, April 5, on the occasion of miart and Milan Art Week, includes an event combining poetry and free tattoos, with readings of Giorno’s poems and tattoos inspired by his verses, executed with the hand-poke technique. Fiera Milano will also engage in the artistic production of a site-specific work, enriching Largo Fiera Milano, an area adjacent to the fairgrounds. Alice Ronchi, an artist called upon to create this public artwork, has transformed the space into a poetic promenade, inspired by a fantasy forest. Her sculptures, with organic silhouettes and light-reflecting materials, create a dreamlike atmosphere that mixes nature and industrial architecture, giving the place a new poetic identity.

Rauschenberg’s work, the protagonist of this edition of miart, will involve the entire city. At the Caveau of the Gallerie d’Italia, some of his best-known works from the Luigi and Peppino Agrati Collection, such as Scripture (1974), Gulf (1969) and Clearing (1969), will be on view. The support of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, which has included miart among its International Partners, has been crucial in bringing the American artist’s work to the Italian public, through numerous projects dedicated to him, which are the result of collaboration with the fair. This entire program of events and exhibitions is realized thanks to the integration between the spaces of Allianz MiCo and the city’s institutions.

Miart 2025 coming soon: the theme of this year's fair is friendship

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