Miart 2026: What to Expect from the 30th Anniversary Edition

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Preview Miart 2026: What to Expect from the 30th Anniversary Edition

Miart 2026, the 30th anniversary edition of the international modern and contemporary art fair, is set to open its doors from April 17 to 19, 2026, with a preview on April 16. Under the direction of Nicola Ricciardi, the fair is embracing a configuration that emphasizes the coexistence of diverse artistic trajectories, with a core focus on the relationship between historical context and contemporary expression. This year, Miart relocates to the South Wing of Allianz MiCo and adopts the theme ‘New Directions,’ signaling a commitment to gradual transformation across its structure, content, and visitor experience.

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Miart 2026: Sections, with John Coltrane as a backdrop

Featuring 160 galleries from 24 countries, Miart 2026 continues its broad chronological scope, connecting over a century of artistic production. The fair draws inspiration from jazz, particularly the work of John Coltrane, using themes of standard, variation, and improvisation to inform its new layout and program structure.

The fair is structured into three main sections. Emergent, curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, kicks off the exhibition with 29 galleries, including new participants from Los Angeles, Johannesburg, New York, London, Istanbul, and Warsaw. This section places a strong emphasis on experimentation, featuring site-specific installations and a significant presence of female artists. Established remains the core section, with 111 galleries fostering a continuous dialogue between modern and contemporary art, also incorporating collectible design. A new addition this year is Established Anthology, which gathers 20 galleries presenting exhibitions that explore a shared theme: narrating the complexity, trajectories, and transformations of time.

Another significant new feature is Movements, a project dedicated to the moving image, developed in collaboration with the St. Moritz Art Film Festival and curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera. This program, organized into five thematic clusters, will explore the relationship between sound and image, more formally integrating the language of artist films into the fair.

Highlights from the Established Section

Among the monographic presentations, MASSIMODECARLO will dedicate its stand to Nicole Wittenberg, while Galleria dello Scudo will focus on Emilio Vedova’s work from the 1980s and 90s. Andrew Kreps Gallery and SpazioA will showcase the work of Chiara Camoni, linking it to her participation in the Venice Biennale. Trautwein Herleth will feature artist Sung Tieu.

Significant space will also be dedicated to dialogues between artists. EHRHARDT FLÓREZ pairs Luis Claramunt and Fernando García, while Corvi-Mora connects Bethan Lloyd Worthington and David Lieske. Galerie Hubert Winter will present a dialogue between Simone Fattal and Judith Feger, and Consonni Radziszewski will showcase an intergenerational project featuring new works by Buhlebezwe Siwani. VISTAMARE will combine historical and contemporary works, including pieces by Goshka Macuga and Rosa Barba.

This section further underscores the fair’s ability to interweave modern and contemporary art. Gió Marconi will feature a stand spanning from the second half of the 20th century to the present, while Dep Art Gallery will focus on figuration between Italy and the United States, presenting artists like Salvo, Adami, Wesselmann, and Katz.

Historical-critical and thematic explorations will also be prominent. DIE GALERIE will examine the CoBrA group, Studio Guastalla will present Italian art from the 1960s to the 1980s, while Galleria Clivio and Osart Gallery will reflect on the relationship between art and communication languages. Geographically, WHATIFTHEWORLD will spotlight South Africa, and Avantgarde Gallery will focus on the Croatian art scene. Other stands will delve into specific themes and materials: Galleria Michela Rizzo will develop a project around water, and ED Gallery will explore ceramics as a contemporary language.

Awards and City Collaborations

Beyond the redefined exhibition layout, Miart is also strengthening its awards and collaboration initiatives. The Fondazione Fiera Milano Acquisition Fund, worth 100,000 euros, is confirmed, alongside established awards such as the Herno Prize and the LCA Prize for Emergent. A new addition is the Archivorum Publication Award, dedicated to editorial experimentation, highlighting a growing focus on hybrid formats combining exhibitions and publications.

The fair’s partnerships extend to widespread exhibition projects within the Milano Art Week program, involving collaborations with major cultural institutions and entities such as PAC, Pirelli HangarBicocca, Triennale, and Fondazione Prada.