Mondi Connessi: interview with Nicola Ricciardi

miart, the international modern and contemporary art fair, is scheduled to take place in Milan from April 4 to 6, 2025, at Allianz MiCo, under the theme "Among Friends" and the artistic direction of Nicola Ricciardi. The connection between miart and the city is further strengthened by Milan Art Week (April 1-6), with its schedule of openings, exhibitions, and meetings that will highlight the vibrancy of Milan’s art scene. Among the events born in the context of Art Week—then extending into Milan Design Week—is the collaboration between miart and Fuorisalone.

For the second year, the partnership between miart and Fuorisalone returns. What are the points of contact between the two events?

The continuity between miart and Fuorisalone represents a meeting point between two worlds that share the goal of celebrating creativity and innovation, research, and experimentation. Both events place strong emphasis on internationalism and the fusion of different artistic disciplines, creating a synergy that aims to strengthen and enhance the cultural offering of the city. Another similarity lies in the desire to engage both professionals—through the involvement of local and international excellence—and the general public, creating opportunities for encounters and participation. An example of this is the series of guides and thematic paths that miart and Fuorisalone began developing together in 2024 to showcase Milanese galleries and institutions, even to those approaching the world of art for the first time, sparking curiosity and an often unexpressed demand for culture.


Photo courtesy of Miart 2024

What path would you recommend to our audience to fully experience the cultural offer related to art during Fuorisalone, between galleries and institutions?

My advice is always to let curiosity and instinct guide you, discovering unexpected places and artists. But if I were to imagine an itinerary for this year, I would start at the Museo del Novecento, where, during Milan Art Week, a Robert Rauschenberg exhibition will open, dedicated to him on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. From there, I would walk to the Gallerie d’Italia, which also hosts a beautiful project on Rauschenberg, before heading through the Brera district, hopping from gallery to gallery: for fans of modern art, I recommend stopping by ML Fine Art, while contemporary art lovers will not be disappointed by kaufmann repetto. A few more steps, and you can enter and walk through Parco Sempione, perhaps reaching Triennale Milano, where another project will take shape, materializing the theme of this year's miart, "Among Friends"—an exhibition dedicated to the rich archive of John Giorno.

"Among Friends," like "Connected Worlds," is a theme about collaboration, networking, and the blending of expertise and knowledge. Why, in this historical moment, is there a need to focus attention on these topics?

Both "Among Friends" and "Connected Worlds" highlight the importance of creating networks of knowledge, skills, and people who can support one another and help grow resilient and creative communities in terms of both number and awareness. Personally, I believe that in a historical moment where physical distances have been amplified, it is essential to promote continuous and open dialogue that builds bridges and fosters cultural exchange. On a project level, our interest has translated into a series of initiatives that give tangible form to the theme of “friendship” in the artistic field, understood as a fair, reciprocal, and genuinely supportive relationship between all stakeholders in the art system: fairs, institutions, galleries, artists, curators, and collectors. I think, for example, of the "Talks Among Friends" series, but also of collaborative projects like the one opening during Milan Art Week at BiM in Bicocca, which involves several figures from the fields of art, music, design, and literature (the project, titled "Open Score," will be presented shortly).


Photo courtesy of Miart 2024

Milan is increasingly becoming an international reference point for the world of art, in addition to design and fashion. What evolution do you foresee in the next five years, and which elements should be focused on to consolidate this role?

As evidenced by recent articles in the Financial Times and New York Times, Milan has taken on a key role in the European contemporary art scene. This upward trajectory probably began around 2015, thanks to investments in the context of EXPO, the opening of Fondazione Prada, and the arrival and establishment of international galleries and foreign collectors. Today, ten years later, we are on the brink of another significant event for the city—the 2026 Olympics. The challenge is to channel the enthusiasm and energy from this event into the cultural sector as well. I believe that Fiera Milano could play a fundamental role in this. There is a tangible alignment of intent between the fair and the city, which is why we have always aimed not just to be a commercial platform, but also a promoter and producer of culture, capable of creating synergy between the art system, citizens, and the local territory.

Photo courtesy of Miart 2024