ART FAIRS:Miart 2016

The 21^st edition of the Milan International Fair of Modern and Contemporary Art (Miart), brings together exhibitors from all over the world to the financial capital of Italy. With a strong focus on Modern and contemporary art, the fair is also known for its unique design section, a mix of genres that wouldn’t be easy to stage in other cities, but  a very basic thing for Milan and Vincenzo de Bellis the director of the Fair.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Miart 2016 Archive

The pavilions of fieramilanocity welcome 154 international Galleries representing the best of Modern and contemporary Art and Limited-Edition Design, from 16 countries  The galleries have been chosen for the high quality of their exhibition projects, by a selection committee, from over 350 applications. The exactions of the Art Fair are: Established, with 99 exhibitors, subdivided into the subsections Master, a category for galleries that show artworks made before the year 2000, in a selection that ranges from the masters of modern art to artists being rediscovered today, and Contemporary that focus on contemporary languages, from current classics to new and recent productions. First Step: A category devoted to galleries participating for the first time at miart or which participated in the past in the Emergent section and are now passing to the Established section. Participation in the First Step category is permitted for a maximum of two editions of the fair. Emergent, on 16 international galleries concentrating on the research of the younger generations, including 11 foreign galleries. THENnow, which features 8 pairs of galleries that join forces to trigger dialogue between one historic artist and one from a more recent generation; and, finally, Object, with a selection of 14 galleries active in the promotion of contemporary design objects created in limited editions and approached as works of art. A new feature of this 21st edition is the Decades section, which with its 9 Galleries offers an itinerary through the 20th Century decade by decade. This section outlines a narrative that emphasizes the two spirits of miart (Modern and Contemporary). Each booth, through a monographic or thematic exhibition, presents a key moment of the period in question. In continuity with the three previous editions, a new cycle of miartalks accompany the three days when the fair is open to the public. The cycle of talks is a platform of lectures, conversations and interviews involving over 40 international personalities including curators, artists, directors of Museums and film festivals, collectors, filmmakers, choreographers and producers invited to explore the ongoing dialogue between the world of the visual arts and those of experimental cinema, music, video, theater and dance. The range of prizes and acquisition funds connected with miart continues to expand. Alongside the Giampiero Cantoni Acquisition Fund of Fondazione Fiera Milano, there is also the return of the Emergent Prize for the best emerging gallery, the Premio Rotary Club Milano Brera for contemporary art and young artists, and the Premio Herno, in collaboration with Herno SpA, which for the second year is assigned to the booth with the best exhibition project.

Info: Miart 2016, Pad. 3, Gate 5, fieramilanocity,  Viale Scarampo, Milan, Duration: 7-10/4/16, Days & Hours: Thu (7/4) by Invitation only, Fri (8/4) & Sat (9/4) 12:00-19:00, Sun (10/4) 11:00-19:00, Entrance Fee: 15€ or Web reduced: 12€, Reduced: ages 14-17 /University students: 10€, Baby Reduced for students of Fine Arts Schools: 1€, www.miart.it