miart 2026 Concludes: All Awards Presented and New Fair Acquisitions

The thirtieth edition of miart has closed its doors. Directed by Nicola Ricciardi, the Milanese art fair truly embraced its theme, showcasing numerous innovations. These included a move to the South Wing of Allianz MiCo, which led to a reorganization of its sections. The fair aimed to challenge established habits and hierarchies, fostering new perspectives on emerging art scenes and re-examining the dialogue between modern and contemporary art. Despite a mix of enthusiasm and disorientation, this edition offered a rich and complex snapshot of current artistic practices. This is now further illuminated by the system of awards, acquisitions, and commissions that highlight the most significant trajectories of the event. While awaiting sales reports, here is a comprehensive list of all recognitions bestowed at miart 2026.

miart 2026: Awards, Acquisitions, and Commissions

The Fondazione Fiera Milano Acquisition Fund, established in 2012 with a budget of €100,000, has selected ten works for its collection. The jury, comprising Emma Enderby, Arturo Galansino, and Giovanni Morale, chose pieces by Vivian Suter (kaufmann repetto), Sergio Fermariello (Galleria Tonelli), Claudia Comte (VISTAMARE), Nika Kutateladze (Bukia Vakhania), Tobias Just (Barbati Gallery), Sung Tieu (Trautwein Herleth), Giosetta Fioroni (Galleria d’Arte Maggiore g.a.m.), Concorde (Ilenia), Theresa Buchner (MATTA), and Marco Scarpi (Amanita).

The eleventh Herno Award, valued at €10,000 and dedicated to the best exhibition design, was presented to Mai 36 Galerie (Zurich) in the Established Anthology section for their insightful dialogue between the works of Robert Mapplethorpe and Jacopo Benassi. The LCA Studio Legale Award for Emergent artists, worth €4,000, was awarded to Lovay Fine Arts (Geneva), with a special mention for the work of artist Sem Lala.

The Orbital Cultura – Nexi Group Award, focusing on photography and aimed at producing new imagery for Italy's cultural heritage, recognized Armin Linke (VISTAMARE). Linke has been commissioned to create a photographic documentation of the Baths of Caracalla.

For the third edition of the SZ CAM Sugar miart commission, with a value of €5,000, Marco Pio Mucci (MATTA) was awarded for a project that reinterprets magnetic tapes of works by Piero Umiliani and Bruno Maderna, integrating them into his painting practice.

The Archivorum Publication Award, supporting the realization of an editorial project, was given to Dr. Frank Wasser (COMMUNE) for research that intertwines theory, performance, and the analysis of power structures.

The Matteo Visconti di Modrone Award, worth €10,000, was presented to Diambe (kaufmann repetto), granting them the opportunity to create a work at the Fonderia Artistica Battaglia. The Special Mention, valued at €1,000, went to Sofía Salazar Rosales (ChertLüdde). The Massimo Giorgetti Award, a €5,000 prize, was assigned to Theresa Buchner (MATTA), recognizing a practice that explores the tension between visibility and interiority.

Finally, the Rotary Club Milano Brera Award for Contemporary Art and Young Artists, in its sixteenth edition and aimed at acquisitions for the Museo del Novecento, was awarded to Emilio Gola (Monica De Cardenas) for his work *Untitled* (2025).