5 Must-See Contemporary Art Galleries in Milan (That Rival Its Art Museums!)

milanwomennetwork
Oct 5
6 min read

Contemporary art isn’t only for those who ‘know about art’. It’s a world waiting to be discovered - and truly gives Milan’s amazing art museums a run for their money.

Surprisingly, Milan has the highest concentration of contemporary art galleries in Italy - and fellow MWN member & art historian, Aglaya, shares her top 5 modern art galleries in the city.

She encourages us to not be intimidated: ring that bell, go to that exhibition, and experience Milan through the works of its artists.

Written by: Aglaya Zhdanova (art historian and founder & host of curated art gallery tours in Milan)

We all know Milan as the primary Italian hub for business with a touch of glamour, and here I mean fashion.

But did you know that Milan is also the Italian capital for contemporary art?

One might not consider Milan a ‘city of art’, especially in comparison to Rome, Florence and Venice. However, when it comes to contemporary art, Milan holds the country’s record – over 120 galleries dedicated to the most recent artistic forms of imagination!

Did I know that when I moved to Milan? Not really, but I sort of felt it.

As an art historian specialising in Modern and Contemporary art, I’ve always navigated cities through their museums and art galleries.

Milan was no exception.

As a newcomer, I started to “hop” through art sites to build an understanding of the city and in a way, make it mine. Soon I could recall the neighbourhoods because I had been to an art gallery! (and anyway, Milan is not a metropolis)

It’s been almost three years now, and I’m actively following 70-something art galleries in the city.

And let me tell you, there are hidden and not so hidden gems out there. In my opinion, (and I’m willing to bet) some art galleries in Milan rival the city's museums, and the good part is…the entrance to an art gallery is always free of charge!

Here are my personal top five art galleries - which is sometimes like visiting an art museum, but so much better!

CARDI - Jannis Kounellis, Solo Exhibition, 2023, installation view. Courtesy Cardi Gallery. Ph. Gianluca Di Ioia

Cardi Gallery

Location: Corso di Porta Nuova, 32

Let’s start with the classics, as if we were to go to an art museum to get to know the local art scene.

Cardi Gallery is a historical Milanese art gallery, operating since 1972 and covering Italian Modern, Post-War and Contemporary art featuring Minimalism and Arte Povera movements (yes, it’s what you can partially see in the Museo del Novecento’s last floor).

This gallery is a true gem for those who want to know more about Italian maestros of the 20th century as they mainly display “big names” such as Lucio Fontanta, Piero Manzoni, Mario Schifano, and Alighiero Boetti among many others.

And the gallery space is truly magnificent, hidden in a courtyard of Corso di Porta Nuova! (Here I must say that most of the art galleries are hidden in very beautiful courtyards scattered throughout the city).

Fun fact: Cardi gallery was previously called “Galleria Cardi” but changed its name in 2015 after opening the second gallery in London.

Check out their website here.

MASSIMODECARLO - Ludovic Nkoth, Physical Proof, 2025, installation view. Courtesy MASSIMODECARLO

Galleria MASSIMODECARLO

Location: Viale Lombardia, 17

This one is a true phenomenon of the art world. Founded in 1987 in Milan, MASSIMODECARLO soon expanded, opening galleries in London, Hong Kong, Seoul and Paris. The gallery focuses on contemporary artists from across the globe from Maurizio Cattelan to Ludovic Nkoth.

In Milan’s gallery, you can discover artists from other countries and continents who are now starring in biennials and world famous museums exhibitions without leaving the city! Isn’t that cool?

You might say it is, but then also ask yourself, “What if I don’t get this art, what if it’s too contemporary?”.

Worry not, MASSIMODECARLO works a lot with painting as well (oil on canvas where you’ll recognise figures, and yes, it is contemporary art!).

In addition, the gallery is located in the iconic Casa Corbellini-Wassermann built in the early 1930s by renowned Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi in Viale Lombardia (this functional yet aesthetically elevated building could have been a museum, and in a way it is)

Fun fact: MASSIMODECARLO launched Maurizio Cattelan’s art career, and now he’s one of the most famous Italian living artists (you might have followed the 2019 scandal of a famous banana being sold for 120.000 $ and then eaten. And yes, it was sold again and eaten again in 2024).

Check out their website here.

GALLERIA LIA RUMMA - Joseph Kosuth, Existential Time, 2019, installation view. Courtesy Galleria Lia Rumma Milan_Napoli.

Ph. Roberto Marossi

Galleria Lia Rumma

Location: Via Stilicone, 19

Lia Rumma is a famous Neapolitan gallery founded in 1971, which fortunately for us, opened up its doors in Milan in 1999 first in Brera, and then moved in 2010 to Viale Stillicone (it’s quite far from the city center, but believe me, even so it’s worth visiting!).

This gallery is very much rooted in conceptual art.

From its pioneers (with the gallery opening up with the Joseph Kosuth exhibition), to its current spokesmen like Gian Maria Tosatti, and all prominent artists in between such as Marina Abramović, William Kentridge, and Shirin Neshat, it reserves a place for emerging artists too.

Lia Rumma’s Milanese space in Viale Stillicone is 2000 sqm of breathtaking exhibition experience (with the view thanks to three levels of the gallery).

Fun fact: The gallery was founded and has been directed by Lia Rumma for over 50 years!

Check out their website here.

ZERO... - Alex Ayed, Transumanza, 2021, installation view. Courtesy Alex Ayed and ZERO…Ph. Roberto Marossi

ZERO…

Location: Via Carlo Boncompagni, 44

This gallery was originally founded in the city of Piacenza, and moved to Milan in 2003, where it changed location 4 times before settling in the current one in 2018.

ZERO… presents itself as an experimental space for international artists, both emerging and already established.

Indeed, it’s not easy to categorise this gallery within one artistic movement (which is fine really, as we don’t have one leading movement nowadays, so no need to choose and follow just one, right?), ZERO… exhibits installations, video art, photography, sculpture and painting. So pretty much every time one can’t help but discover something new.

The gallery is located in the Porto di Mare neighbourhood of Milan, quite distant from the city center, slightly sketchy, yet vibrant and authentic.

Fun fact: ZERO… was awarded the “best gallery” award by Flash Art this year. So, it’s considered the best contemporary art gallery in Italy. Can you afford to skip visiting it now that you know?!

Check out their website here.

THADDEUS ROPAC - Georg Baselitz & Lucio Fontana, L’aurora viene, 2025, installation view. Courtesy Thaddeus Ropac.

Ph. Roberto Marossi

Thaddaeus Ropac

Location: Piazza Belgioioso, 2

And last - but certainly not least - this gallery has it all with an ongoing museum-level exhibition featuring world famous artists in a historical building in the very heart of Milan.

Thaddaeus Ropac gallery was founded in 1983 in Salzburg, over the years establishing affiliated galleries in London, Paris, Seoul, and now in Milan. It’s a new addition to the city as it opened doors on September 20th 2025!

The gallery represents a vast range of artists from Marcel Duchamp to Tony Cragg. In its debut exhibition in Milan, Thaddaeus Ropac presented George Baselitz and Lucio Fontana, creating a space for a dialogue between the most influential post-war artists from Germany and Italy. The gallery opts to create a meeting ground for international and Italian artists in its new Milanese venue.

And speaking of the venue, Thaddaeus Ropac gallery is situated in Palazzo Belgioiso, a neoclassical jewel in the quadrilatero della moda area, close to Via Montenapoleone and Teatro alla Scala.

Fun fact: the next exhibition to be inaugurated on November 26 will feature VALIE EXPORT and Ketty La Rocca for the first time ever. And you could be among the very first visitors!

Check out their website here.

Well, these are my top 5 major contemporary art galleries, which are as good as museums - and absolutely worth visiting in Milan!

But there’re so much more, mostly hidden, big and small, in ex-industrial spaces, in flats, in palazzos, in garages, oftentimes in enchanting courtyards (and I have a thing for Milanese courtyards as they are the truest embodiment of Milan in my opinion!).

Milan is here to be discovered, with so much art to be unveiled. So, go ring that bell and walk in. Go for it, if you feel like it…don't be afraid to enter a gallery door.You don’t have to know anything about art. Being curious is the key, and that’s already enough! That’s exactly what I do - and you can do it too!

I hope I got you inspired, and if you want to learn more, I invite you to follow my Instagram page @galleryhopping.milano, where I publish exhibition openings, insights into the world of art, and host gallery hoppings around the city.

Keep in touch - and I hope to see you soon at my next gallery hopping experience with MWN on October 11th, followed by an aperitivo. You can join us here!