Contemporary Art in Milan: 10 museums not to be missed

Just a few years and Museum of 900 has become one of the most interesting museums in Milan and given new life to the Piazza Duomo. Not that it needed it, the cathedral has always been the main magnet for tourists, but the Museum has given a modern edge to a city that is the living expression of modernity and the ability to reinvent itself and propose new perspectives, even in art. First of all, the Museum of 900 has given a whole new look to the Palazzo dell'Arengario, a historic building from the last century that was supposed to serve as the municipal headquarters and, today, completely renovated inside to house the great Milanese Civic Art Collections.

Inaugurated in December 2010, the Museum of 900 offers a permanent exhibition on 5 levels and hosts various exhibitions and events (including musical ones) throughout the year. The visit begins with the Gallery of Futurism, which is accessed from the scenic spiral ramp inside the Arengario, and ends in the Sala Fontana with the artist's light installation that symbolically embraces the city. Among the 300 works on display (out of 4,000 collected from Milanese collections and exhibited in turn) are masterpieces by Picasso and Modigliani, Klee and Kandinskij, De Chirico and Morandi.

To reach the Palazzo dell'Arengario that houses the Museum you have to get to Piazza Duomo, which is the easiest point for those who do not know Milan. Exactly at number 8 of the square and with a wing adjacent to the Royal Palace. The museum is closed on Mondays, December 25, January 1 and May 1, while it is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7:30 pm, but on Thursdays the closing is postponed to 10:30 pm. Entrance costs 5 euros and for under 18s it is free. Visit Duomo and see Milan from the Terrace❯

The offer of modern and contemporary art is so high in Milan that a single museum was not enough. So from the collections of Villa Reale, which housed the Gallery of Modern Art and was destroyed by the Allied bombings of 1943, two museums were born in the post-war period: the Pavilion of Contemporary Art (PAC), a new structure that remade the stables of Villa Reale, and the Gallery of Modern Art (GAM) in the renovated Villa Reale or Villa Belgioioso. Their location is a precious gift to be exploited by art lovers, via Palestro at numbers 14 the PAC and 16 the GAM.

The Pavilion of Contemporary Art was inaugurated in 1954 to house the civic collections of the 20th century. The architect Ignazio Gardella designed the building on three levels and according to the canons of modern museum halls in Northern Europe (Kunsthalle). In 1996 ‒ after the coward attack on Via Palestro in 1993 ‒ he renovated the damaged museum together with his son Jacopo.

The most confortable way to get to the PAC (and the GAM itself) is by subway. The Palestro stop is on the red M1 line, but the Turati stop on the yellow M3 is also quite close. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7:30 pm, with Thursdays extended to 10:30 pm. It is closed on Mondays and on public holidays during the Christmas period. The full price is 8 euros. The PAC is well-suited to disabled visitors, wheelchairs are available for those with walking difficulties and guide dogs for the blind and deaf are allowed and welcome.

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After leaving the PAC, it is a moment to enter the GAM, the Gallery of Modern Art in Milan which has recently passed the first century of activity. The two museums intertwine their beautiful gardens and create a fairytale atmosphere. The Gallery of Modern Art is housed in the historic Villa Belgiojoso, the neoclassical building from the 18th century also known as Villa Reale. The reason is easy to explain: it was inhabited by Napoleon, who was crowned King of Italy in the Duomo of Milan, and then by Marshal Radetsky during the Austrian domination of Lombardy-Veneto.

The collections housed make the GAM the main 19th-century museum in Lombardy. However, thanks to the private collections of Vismara (on the ground floor) and Grassi (first floor), there has been an enrichment of works from the 20th century. To connect the two centuries is “The Fourth social class” by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, which has just become a symbolic work of the museum, but the GAM includes names such as Gauguin and Van Gogh, Hayez and Segantini, Picasso and Cezanne. Don't miss, looking at the ceiling of the central dining room of the villa, the wonderful fresco by Appiani “Parnassus, Apollo and the Muses”.

The entrance to the Villa Reale or Belgioioso is in via Palestro 16, the full ticket costs 5 euros and is free for under 18s. The opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday are from 10 am to 5:30 pm (last admission one hour before). Besides Monday, the few closing days during the year are December 25th and January 1st, Easter Monday and May 1st. Discover the Necchi Campiglio Villa's elegance❯

There are two royal villas in the Milan area, both stunning, Villa Belgiojoso that we saw as the seat of the Modern Art Gallery and the Villa Reale in Monza. Two wonderful residences that history gave to the Savoy dynasty with the Unification of Italy, also harbingers of unfortunate events, since King Umberto I was killed in 1900 in Monza. The fact is that here, in the Park of Villa Reale, the first International Exhibition of Decorative Arts took place in 1923, but as often happens in the history of the great Expos in the world, what is temporary becomes permanent (see the Eiffel Tower in Paris).

Ten years later, in 1933, the Monza exhibition became "Triennale" and moved to Milan, assuming an autonomous legal personality under the guidance of Gio Ponti and Mario Sironi. Giovanni Muzio designed the headquarters, Palazzo dell'Arte, thanks to the donation of five million lire from the Bernocchi brothers. The building is a prestigious, modular and flexible building, specifically designed to host large events and museum activities, in Viale Alemagna 6 and close to Parco Sempione, the central green lung of Milan. Since the 1950s, the Triennale contributed to the affirmation and the development of Italian architecture and design.

Since 2007, the Triennale housed the Museum of Italian Design and hosts various exhibitions and shows. The current ones are on the architect Gae Aulenti, on the stylist and designer Elio Fiorucci and on the architect Ettore Sottsass. To get to Palazzo dellʼArte, home of the Triennale, there is a specific stop on the green M2 metro line, opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 20. The full price of the ticket is 15 euros. Animals are not allowed, but it is possible to take photos and shoot non-professional videos during the visit.

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Once majestic headquarters of large banks, today the headquarters of prestigious museums. This is how the Gallerie dʼItalia were born, one of the most important cultural redevelopment projects of the last decade. The Intesa San Paolo banking group is carrying it forward, thus giving a second life to historic buildings such as that of the Banca Commerciale Italiana in Milan, in the heart of Piazza della Scala (photo), on the corner of both the famous theater and the elegant Via Manzoni and Palazzo Marino, the seat of the Municipality of Milan.

Today the Gallerie dʼItalia include four locations. In addition to Milan, they are in Naples, in the central Via Toledo where the Banco di Napoli once stood; in Vicenza in Palazzo Leoni Montanari, formerly the headquarters of the Banca Cattolica; and finally, the latest addition is the Turin location, in Palazzo Turinetti in the living room of Piazza San Carlo, dedicated above all to the visual arts and photography. Four museums and four distinct souls for that “Culture Project” that represents the “strategic container” of the cultural activities of the Intesa Sanpaolo group.

The opening of the Gallerie dʼItalia in Milan took place in November 2011 with the inauguration of the section dedicated to 19th-century art. Works from the collections of the Fondazione Cariplo and Intesa Sanpaolo are exhibited, in a journey “From Canova to Boccioni”. Until March 2025, thanks to the partnership with the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the Gallerie dʼItalia in Milan will host the exhibition “The genius of Milan. Crossroads of the arts from the Fabbrica del Duomo to the twentieth century”, with works by Leonardo and Tiepolo, Hayez and contemporaries such as Boccioni and Fontana. Closed on Mondays, the museum is open on the remaining days from 9:30 to 19:30 (Thursdays at 22:30), with a full price of 10 euros and children under 18 free.

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It is difficult to imagine a museum that can house colossal installations like Anselm Kiefer's "The Seven Heavenly Palaces", but in Milan, in the former industrial suburb of Bicocca, that space has been there for 20 years now. It is the Pirelli HangarBicocca, in via Chiese 2, on the border with the municipality of Sesto San Giovanni, where once there was the largest industrial complex in Italy: Pirelli, Breda, Marelli, Ansaldo and many other companies, all concentrated here to produce steel and metal alloys, locomotives and railway carriages, tires and cables and components.

That era was over, but a post-industrial citadel remained and now it is recovered, as the "Cube", the 10 thousand square meter building that today is the HangarBicocca. Due to its grandeur and 30 meters of height, it is one of the largest museum spaces in the world, perfect for permanently exhibiting and preserving the Palaces of Kiefer, one of the greatest living artists. It hosts many exhibitions every year, among others Maurizio Cattelan and Marina Abramovic have passed through here. The new life of the Hangar shows that old industrial complexes can be much more than an example of industrial archaeology. They can become places of contemporary art, to be offered to everyone, given that admission is free.

The opening hours are from Thursday to Sunday from 10:30 to 20:30, it is advisable to book online to have priority in access, but it is also possible to book on site. To get to Pirelli HangarBicocca, the most convenient means of transport is bus 87 from Milan Central station and stop in via Chiese. The two closest metro lines are the M5 lilac stop Ponale and the M1 red stop Sesto Marelli, for both you need bus 51 or a 10/15 minute walk. Those arriving by car have access to a large parking lot and no architectural barriers. The bistro is open until 22:30 and photos and videos are permitted for personal use. Discover the world of Leonardo in a wonderful experience in Milan❯

From Bicocca in the north to the southern area of Milan, where beyond the Scalo di Porta Romana there has been another successful urban redevelopment project in the suburbs. This is thanks to Prada, which on May 9, 2015 inaugurated the Foundation that is also its new headquarters, in Largo Isarco in Milan, designed by the OMA architecture studio led by Rem Koolhaas, who transformed an old distillery. However, it is not just a headquarters, because the Prada Foundation is also a new cultural center with 11 thousand square meters of exhibition space.

The three structures, called "Podium", "Cinema" and "Torre" make up the so-called "Haunted House" (the House of Spirits, a tribute to the previous destination of the complex), a 4-story building covered in 24-carat gold leaf, which houses pieces from the permanent collection of the Prada Foundation, with works mostly from the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition to permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Foundation also hosts “Cinema Godard,” an exclusive arthouse with screenings of auteur films and meetings with filmmakers.

Among the current exhibitions, which will continue until spring 2025, is “Preserving the Brain,” part of the “Human Brains” project that Fondazione Prada dedicates to neuroscience and the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. The venue is easily reached by taking the yellow metro 3, getting off at the Lodi stop, or by taking tram 24, getting off at the Ripamonti/Lorenzini stop. Opening hours on Mondays and Wednesdays through Sundays are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. Full-price tickets cost 15 euros. Discover all the excellences in Lombardy❯

Temporary exhibitions, a museum of lights, artists' houses, open-air cinema. There are no limits to the creative potential of "La Fabbrica del Vapore", a meeting place dedicated to art and fantasy for over 20 years. Located in Milan, between the Isola and Sempione districts and a stone's throw from Chinatown on Via Sarpi and Monumental cemetery (photo), "La Fabbrica del Vapore" has converted an old factory that produced trolleys and rolling stock for trams and trains into contemporary art.

The location's cultural offerings allow you to experiment with the multifaceted languages of visual and performance art. Starting next December 13, the "Fabbrica del Vapore" will host the "Tim Burton's Labyrinth", exploring and delving into the magic and tricks of the great American director, for joy of children and adults. There will be room for the darkness and magical forests of “Corpse Bride”, for the eccentric and sweet protagonists of “Edward Scissorhands”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Beetlejuice”, for the incredible worlds of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

Also interesting is the exhibition “Visions in motion – Graffiti and echoes of Futurism”, which explores for the first time the relationship between two of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century: Italian Futurism and American Graffiti. Fabbrica del Vapore is located in via Procaccini 4 and can be easily reached with various metro lines 5 lilac (Monumentale or Cenisio stops) and tram lines 14-12-10. It is open every day from 8 to 19.30, the full ticket costs 14 euros.

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In the heart of Milan, between Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Cavour, in what is now via Turati (but once via Principe Umberto) stands one of the most distinctive museums in Milan, created to house the Lombard pictorial collections of the 19th century and now expanded to include contemporary and design and graphics artists. It is the headquarters of the Società per le Belle Arti ed Esposizione Permanente, known to all as the Museo della Permanente, with an imposing façade and internal halls up to 8 meters high. The exhibition itinerary displays a collection of over three hundred works including paintings and sculptures.

Created specifically as a museum, the construction was entrusted to Luca Beltrami, the architect who also renovated the Castello Sforzesco and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The bombings of the Second World War caused much damage to the museum and so the Permanente was rebuilt in 1950. The rebirth was celebrated in 1953 with the great exhibition “Women in Art from Hayez to Modigliani” and would continue with the great panoramas of twentieth-century art.

Open to new multimedia realities, today the Museo della Permanente also hosts the photographic exhibition “Wildlife Photographer of The Year”, now in its 60th edition. It is a museum open every day, from 10 am to 7 pm and on Thursdays and Fridays the opening hours are extended until 10 pm. The full ticket costs 15 euros and includes the current exhibitions. Very easy to reach, in via Turati there is the yellow M3 metro stop.

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It is one of the most modern and original museums in Milan. The Museum of Cultures ‒ known to all as Mudec ‒ was founded in 2015 to provide hospitality and visibility to the civic ethnographic collections, but it immediately broadened its horizons to look at global cultures and represent them. Also in function of “Milano World City”, the project that deals with the thousand origins in the city and so the Mudec presents itself as a window on the cultural complexity of Milan and its hybrid codes and canons of art.

An international and post-modern dimension that, alongside the permanent collections, offers temporary exhibitions that cast a glance at the world. Managed through a public-private partnership by the Municipality of Milan and 24 ORE Cultura ‒ Gruppo 24 ORE, the Mudec also hosts retrospectives of great artists of our contemporary era, such as this year on Picasso, Rodin and Dubuffet.

The Mudec is located in the Tortona district, one of the liveliest hubs of the Design Week. You can get there with the green M2 metro, getting off at SantʼAgostino but Porta Genova is also not far away. To visit the permanent collection of the museum, admission is free, while for the exhibitions you pay 16 euros for a full ticket. Opening hours are on Monday from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm, from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, with extended hours to 10:30 pm on Thursday and Saturday. Pets are allowed, but only on the ground floor.

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