New Directions: miart, but different
17–19 April 2026
miart celebrates its thirtieth edition in the new South Wing of Allianz MiCo, bringing together 160 galleries from 24 countries and confirming its position among the leading international art fairs.
Under the title New Directions, inspired by John Coltrane, the fair looks to jazz as a creative model, transforming its structure into a space for improvisation and dialogue between languages, generations and artistic perspectives. This approach redefines miart’s identity, positioning the fair as a dynamic and evolving platform.
Taking place from 17 to 19 April 2026, miart marks this milestone by honouring its history while opening up to new horizons. Its new location in the South Wing — overlooking the contemporary landscape of CityLife — is conceived as a kind of “blank score,” ready to be activated by diverse artistic practices.
Divided into three sections — Emergent, Established and Established Anthology — the fair brings together over a century of art, from early twentieth-century masters to the most current practices. This structure reinforces miart’s role as a platform capable of embracing a plurality of voices while connecting past and present.
Sections, galleries and special projects: the rhythm of the new layout
Like a jazz improvisation that brings together memory and innovation in a continuous dialogue, miart 2026 unfolds through a renewed layout structured across multiple levels, designed to guide visitors through a layered and progressive experience.
Opening the exhibition path, Emergent occupies the entrance floor as a space dedicated to experimentation and discovery. Curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, the section brings together 29 international galleries presenting 26 projects that engage with themes such as identity, memory, the body, social structures and climate change. Across painting, sculpture, textiles, video and photography — with a strong presence of women artists — the section foregrounds new voices and site-specific practices conceived especially for the fair. Ferda Art Platform Istanbul and Merkür from Istanbul are participating in this section.
The historic core of the fair, Established, is located on Level 0 of the South Wing and features 111 galleries. Here, modern masters are placed in dialogue with contemporary practices, alongside projects related to collectible and authorial design. The section reflects miart’s distinctive approach: constructing a narrative in which different temporalities, media and artistic genealogies coexist, generating a constellation of perspectives that range from monographic presentations to intergenerational dialogues.
© Ming Smith, Courtesy of the artist and M77
On the upper floor, Established Anthology brings together 20 international galleries around a shared reflection on time, memory and transformation. Through thematic exhibitions, monographic focuses and curated juxtapositions, the section explores cycles, metamorphosis and possible futures, reinforcing miart’s vision of art history as a non-linear field shaped by returns, reinterpretations and new trajectories.
Completing this framework, Movements marks a new addition to miart 2026. Developed in collaboration with the St. Moritz Art Film Festival and curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, the project presents a selection of artist films and video works, expanding the fair’s curatorial scope and introducing the language of the moving image into its programme.
Exhibitions and Special Projects: The Sound of the City
During miart week, Milan unfolds as a landscape shaped by sound, rhythm and resonance, where exhibitions and performances extend the fair’s curatorial theme into the city.
At Gallerie d’Italia, Ryman/Schifano: Standard/Variations transforms painting into a “listening space,” where minimal gestures and subtle variations sharpen perception. The exhibition frames viewing as an experience akin to listening to live jazz.
At Triennale Milano, The Rhythm of the Eye presents Don Bronstein’s photographs of the 1950s–60s jazz scene in Europe for the first time. Featuring figures such as Miles Davis, the exhibition turns documentation into a sensory visual language.
At PAC – Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Marco Fusinato’s The only true anarchy is that of power brings together a selection of recent works. The exhibition immerses viewers in a high-intensity audiovisual environment that challenges perception.
At Pirelli HangarBicocca, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s The House That Jack Built explores spatial practice through a performative exhibition format. Also at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Benni Bosetto’s Rebecca unfolds through a programme of live performances. Through music, movement and voice, the exhibition continuously reactivates its narrative across space and time.
At Fondazione Prada, Cinema Godard continues its film programme during miart week. Among the highlights is White Snail by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, noted for its atmospheric use of sound.
From 13 to 19 April, Milano Art Week activates the city with a wide programme of exhibitions, events and talks, highlighting the vitality of Milan’s contemporary art scene.
You can see a list of major exhibitions taking place in Milan here.
Cover Image: Thomas Brambilla Gallery, Miart 2025, Photo: Nicola Gnesi studio