When the drywall partitions come down and the LED spotlights are dismantled at the miart booths, that’s when Milan truly begins. Because while the fair offers a polished and compact image of the market — albeit not without its setbacks, and working primarily in the mid-to-lower price range, as noted by Erica Roccella in her market report for exibart — it’s within the urban fabric that the most interesting game is played: that of new openings, repositionings, new arrivals. And of those who choose to bet on the city in a structural way.

Among the clearest signs of this new centrality is the arrival of Thaddaeus Ropac’s gallery in Milan, announced by the Financial Times on January 8, 2025. An event foreshadowed by the centenary of Robert Rauschenberg — an artist represented by the gallery — celebrated by the Museo del Novecento with an ongoing exhibition, open until June 29, 2025, which stages an unprecedented dialogue between Rauschenberg’s revolutionary works and the 20th-century masterpieces from the museum’s permanent collection.

The news echoed the earlier statements of Ben Brown — the renowned London-based gallerist with spaces in London, Hong Kong, and Palm Beach — who had already announced his intention to open a new venue in Milan during an interview with Artsy in November 2024.

Two moves that now anticipate what appears to be a real geographical recalibration of the contemporary art market. But why Milan?

Thaddeus Ropac

One of the reasons behind the growing interest in Milan is the favorable tax framework that Italy offers to high-net-worth individuals. Since 2019, the “new residents regime” has attracted collectors—especially from the United Kingdom and post-Brexit France—encouraging their relocation to the country.

However, a structural limitation remains: the VAT rate on artworks stands at 22%—the highest in Europe—compared to 5.5% in France and 7% in Germany. A threshold that penalizes the primary market in particular, while on the secondary market front—thanks to less restrictive regulations compared to other countries—Italy continues to offer relative operational agility.

Adding to this, competition is less aggressive than in more mature and nearby markets such as Paris, where the scene is already saturated with mega-galleries and well-established local boutiques with a solid collector base. Confirming this trend, the 2025 edition of miart saw major new entries in the Established section, welcoming galleries such as Ben Brown Fine Arts, The Breeder, Sadie Coles HQ, MASSIMODECARLO, Document, Maxwell Graham Gallery, Meyer Riegger, Victoria Miro, and Esther Schipper.
In the same edition, three galleries that previously exhibited in the Emergent section—Arcadia Missa, Sébastien Bertrand, and UNA—moved up to Established, marking a significant step forward.

Yet while the context is becoming increasingly favorable for galleries and collectors, the same cannot be said for artists. The Italian system remains fragile: few non-profit spaces, limited public support, and scarce access to studios and residencies.
It is precisely within this imbalance, however, that a margin for growth emerges: under certain conditions, the arrival of international players could also help strengthen the local scene.

In short, things are starting to move.

Via Vezza d'Oglio 14, Milan

We are in the district already devoted to art near Via Orobia, between Ica Milano and just steps from Fondazione Prada. It is here that, between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, Scaramouche opened — the new project by Florentine gallerist Daniele Ugolini.

“For seven years, we presented an experimental program in our spaces in New York’s Lower East Side,” says Ugolini, who chose to return to Milan with a manifesto exhibition dedicated to James Brown.

Via Rosolino Pilo 14, Milan

Limbo was founded in February 2025 by Anni Wu, drawing on her experience in the modern and contemporary art department at Sotheby’s Milan. The project presents itself as a space for waiting and reflection: an intermediate territory that embraces the uncertainty and change of the present.

The gallery is dedicated to ultra-contemporary research and practices that explore urgent themes such as ecology, technology, and the human condition, with a strong curatorial approach and a focus on post-human imaginaries.

Via Lazzaro Palazzi 3, Milan

Among the new openings, March 2025 saw the launch of a new shared project by Castiglioni and UNA, two galleries that joined forces with complementary approaches: on one side, Castiglioni’s need to develop off-site and pop-up projects; on the other, UNA’s desire to open a second venue in Milan following their first space in Piacenza.

Founded in 2018 by Marta Barbieri and Paola Bonino, UNA promotes emerging artists born in the 1980s and 1990s, with a curatorial focus on contemporary themes and a preference for installation and site-specific formats.

Via Lazzaro Palazzi 3, Milan

Castiglioni was founded in April 2018, following founder Luca Castiglioni’s experience as director of Boatos Fine Arts in São Paulo. The gallery positions itself as a bridge between Europe and South America, presenting an innovative program that intertwines research and discovery. 

Palazzo Belgioioso, Piazza Belgioioso 2, Milan

The most anticipated opening is scheduled for autumn 2025, in the historic Palazzo Belgioioso in Milan, a building that previously hosted the spaces of Massimo De Carlo and Peres Projects, just steps from the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Museo del Novecento, and Piazza del Duomo.
“Milan is the crossroads of Europe, and Italy is the beating heart of the continent—a country that has profoundly shaped the evolution of art over the centuries,” said Thaddaeus Ropac. “We have always felt the absence of Italy in our constellation of European galleries, considering it crucial for our international growth and the development of our artists.”

Leading the Milan space will be Elena Bonanno di Linguaglossa, who commented: “I firmly believe that Milan—long a city of great collectors and collections, and now with a thriving art scene—is the right choice for the gallery and its artists. Thaddaeus Ropac Milan will make a significant contribution to the city’s emergence as a leading international art destination.”

With just four years of activity and numerous ambitious projects behind it, Romero Paprocki has already established itself as one of the most interesting emerging galleries on the French scene. Founded by Guido Romero Pierini and Tristan Paprocki, the gallery made its debut in the Marais with museum-scale spaces and a program designed to give visibility, support, and trust to emerging voices.

After consolidating its profile as an incubator of new energy, the gallery made its Milan debut this spring with its first participation in miart and is now preparing to bring new projects by French and international talents to the city.

Romero Paprocki’s Milan project will open after the summer, sharing space with the London-based gallery French Place. The inauguration of the Milan venue will be accompanied by a major group exhibition featuring the gallery’s represented artists, although the exact date has yet to be announced.

The two galleries will alternate throughout the exhibition season, each presenting a show every two months — a model that promises to bring new dynamism and an international perspective to the Milan art scene.