Commerce and art collide in fashion hub and industrial epicenter Milan. The former capital of the Western Roman Empire, Milan boasts prestigious art collections, renowned shopping, one of the largest trade-fair complexes in Europe, an active nightlife, and the renowned La Scala opera house. World-famous fashion weeks and art fairs aside, the city’s next big undertaking is Expo 2015, taking place between May 1 and October 31. The Expo, whose theme is food and sustainable practices, will host 17,000 events, including open-air concerts, design and art exhibitions, live cooking shows, sporting events, and theater.
With some 20 million people expected to be in attendance, visitors should plan ahead if they want to take in, not only the Expo itself, but the countless other happenings taking place around the city during the month. Closing tomorrow at Brand New Gallery are two exhibitions: “Fatal Dad,” featuring new installation works and sculptures by Brian Kokoska and Zack Davis, and “New Vibrations,” featuring a selection of works by artists from the United States. A particularly exciting selection of photographs by German-born artist Julia Fullerton-Batten is on view at VMC2 Gallery. The works, part of her “Korea” series, depict women dressed in traditional clothing, set against the striking backdrop of modern-day Seoul. Also worth mentioning is Tom Pnini’s show at Galleria Giuseppe Pero. A video installation, “The Light Fantastic Toe” narrates the five minutes leading up to a stereoscopic portrait of a family. The video begins with what appears to be a split screen, but is actually a double set that reproduces the illusion of a stereoscopic image, with the characters played by identical twins.
Installation and photography appear to be the media of the moment in Milan, with shows by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, Linda Fregni Nagler at Monica De Cardenas, Pino Pinelli at DEP ART, and the perennially popular Helmut Newton and Carlo Mollino at Photology.
As spring kicks into high gear, Milan delivers exceptional exhibitions heading into May. Named one of the 52 places to go in 2015 by The New York Times, make time for Milan.
Exhibition: “Fatal Dad”
When: March 19–April 24, 2015 (last call)
Where: Brand New Gallery, Via Farini 32, Milan, 20159 Italy
Exhibition: “New Vibrations”
When: March 19–April 24, 2015 (last call)
Where: Brand New Gallery, Via Farini 32, Milan, 20159 Italy
Exhibition: “Julia Fullerton-Batten: Korean”
When: March 24–April 30, 2015
Where: VMC2 Gallery, Via Malaga 4, Milan, 20143 Italy
Exhibition: “Lovely Bones”
When: March 19–May 3, 2015
Where: Barbara Frigerio Contemporary Art, Via dell’Orso 12, Milan, 20121 Italy
Exhibition: “Céline Condorelli: bau bau”
When: December 11, 2014–May 10, 2015
Where: HangarBicocca, Via Chiese 2, Milan, 20126 Italy
Exhibition: “Cyan Light and Abstract”
When: February 16–May 15, 2015
Where: M77 Gallery, Via Mecenate 77, Milan, 20138 Italy
Exhibition: “Cory Arcangel: Hot Topics”
When: April 10–May 20, 2015
Where: Lisson Gallery, Via Zenale 3, Milan, 20123 Italy
Exhibition: “Tom Pnini: The Light Fantastic Toe”
When: April 10–May 22, 2015
Where: Galleria Giuseppe Pero, Via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi 3, Milan, 20159, Italy
Exhibition: “Linda Fregni Nagler: Pour commander à l’air”
When: April 10–May 23, 2015
Where: Monica De Cardenas, Via Francesco Viganò 4, Milan, 20124 Italy
Exhibition: “Pino Pinelli: Antologia Rossa”
When: March 22–May 30, 2015
Where: DEP ART, Via Giuriati 9, Milan, 20129 Italy
Exhibition: “Shadi Ghadirian | The Others Me”
When: April 23–June 21, 2015
Where: Officine dell’Immagine, Via Atto Vannucci 13, Milan, 20135 Italy
Exhibition: “Bent”
When: April 23–June 27, 2015
Where: Ribot Gallery, Via Enrico Nöe, Milan, 20139 Italy
Exhibition: “Carlo Mollino | Helmut Newton”
When: April 14–July 16, 2015
Where: Photology, Via della Moscova 25, Milan, 20121 Italy
Exhibition: “Roni Horn: Water Teller”
When: April 10–August 7, 2015
Where: Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Via Alessandro Stradella 4, Milan, 20129 Italy
Exhibition: “Juan Muñoz: Double Bind & Around”
When: April 9–August 23, 2015
Where: HangarBicocca, Via Chiese 2, Milan, 20126 Italy
Exhibition: “OMAGGIO A Lucio Fontana“
When: April 24–October 31, 2015
Where: Fondazione Marconi Arte moderna e contemporanea, Via Tadino 15, Milan, 20124 Italy