Here are the Emerging Artists in the Milan Contemporary Art Scene

Milan is a vibrant hub of fashion, art, and culture in Northern Italy, and it’s no surprise that there are new and emerging artists redefining the contemporary art scene. These emerging Italian artists deserve to be recognized for their impressive work.

Milan has different venues where you can see excellent work from contemporary and modern artists, from the Fondazione Prada to the Museo del Novecento. If you’re an art enthusiast, you definitely shouldn’t miss out on the emerging artists in the Milan contemporary art scene.

Manuel Scano Larrazàbal

Starting out our list is Manuel Scano Larrazàbal, known for his long list of accomplishments in contemporary art. Scano Larrazàbal is especially known for his work at the MaRS Gallery in Los Angeles, an exhibition titled ‘Inexorable Acephalous Magnificence’ or ‘How the Shit Hits the Fan,’ consisting of large works on paper.

Scano Larrazàbal created impressive works that gained a lot of attention, especially since he used industrial paper, dyed mashed cellulose, washable ink, and water. His work has also been displayed in the Galerie PACT in Paris. While Scano Larrazàbal did his residency at the MaRS Gallery, he made a drawing machine that had different colored markers suspended on strings over paper.

Matteo Negri

In Milan, you can find the art of the emerging artist Matteo Negri at Lorenzelli Arte. This prominent gallery specializes in art from modern masters, and in 2017, it dedicated its entire gallery to Negri’s installations and wall sculptures. The 2017 series, which Negri called ‘open gems,’ made use of galvanized iron, tempered glass, liquid chrome, and film.

Negri’s work is inspired by American Pop and De Stijl, especially with his L’Ego series. He also makes glass installations, which create effects of light and illusion. Then, he colors the glass compositions in such a way that the sculptures look mysterious and beautiful.

Beatrice Marchi

Next on our list is the collaborative contemporary artist shaking up the Milan art scene, Beatrice Marchi. Marchi studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, and her work is usually displayed with other artists in a collaborative form.

One of her best collaborative works is the 2021 collaboration with Mia Sanchez, called ‘La Città e I Perdigiorno.’ Another work, ‘The Photographer Lens,’ was part of the exhibition, as each work focused on a type of fictional character.

Maria Teresa Ortoleva

Maria Teresa Ortoleva is a Milan native who now spends half of her time in London. She is known for her research-based art, as she collects images and items and researches historical databases and archives of those items. Afterward, the item is printed to create amazing installations or digital projections.

Ortoleva is represented by Luca Tommasi Arte Contemporanea in Milan and even displayed a solo presentation of her art in 2018. Ortoleva’s installation art is combined with a drawing practice, offering an impressive installation experience. One of her best works is the ‘Handtrack of an Electric Thought I, II, III, IV, and V’, displayed in 2017.

Margherita Raso

Like most of Milan’s emerging artists, Margherita Raso also learned from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. Raso’s work has been featured in Milan and other cities like Brussels, Rome, New York, and Venice. Raso’s best exhibition was ‘Piercing,’ displayed in 2017. The artist used different mediums, including fabric, tuff stone, wood, magnets, porcelain, and bronze.

The dynamic archway at the entrance of the exhibition, made with fabric and magnets, was the best way to introduce guests. Raso is also known for the Bianco Miele, which was a contemporary twist on ancient sculpture. This stands out among her work, as she uses unconventional materials.

Matteo Rubbi

Matteo Rubbi is another emerging Milan artist that you should not miss out on. Living and working in Milan, Rubbi completed residencies at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and other European institutions. Rubbi was also called ‘one of the most interesting Italian artists of recent years’ by Frieze magazine.

Installations and sculptures made by Rubbi usually combine things or places that are significant into something tangible. For instance, he recreates mythical rivers, the Alps, and the Arizona mountains. Whenever you’re in Milan, check out Piazza Burri for Rubbi’s permanent installation titled Cieli di Belloveso.

Gianni Caravaggio

Gianni Caravaggio can be considered one of the leading artists from Milan when it comes to emerging contemporary artists. Although he’s the namesake of a baroque Italian master painter, his art stands out among others. The sculpture combines baroque techniques with modern ideas, as his goal is to combine traditional materials like marble with unique ones like paper and talc.

Caravaggio’s art has been displayed in different art galleries and museums, including the Kaufmann Repetto galleries in New York and Milan, Museo del Novecento in Milan, and Galerie de Expeditie in Amsterdam. One of his best works is ‘Giovane Universo,’ created with Carrara marble spheres and bronze wire.

Fabio Giampietro

This emerging artist stands out with his digital cityscapes as he creates dynamic figurative paintings. Fabio Giampietro, the Italian artist, is inspired by futurism and the work of Lucio Fountana, with most of his recent works displayed in black and white.

One of his recent works is ‘Scraping the Surface – Milan,’ which is a black-and-white cityscape exploring the link between old and new. Giampietro has also auctioned many of his pieces as NFTs and has also appeared in digital auctions and exhibitions like Invisible Cities and The Gateway.

Loris Cecchini

Rounding up our list is Loris Cecchini, an emerging artist known as a master of module-based sculpture. This modern artist has quickly become one of the prominent artists in Italy, known for site-specific installations in different parts of the world.

You can find Cecchini’s work in Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Cornell Tech Building, New York, and Shinsegae Hanam Starfield, Seoul. One of Cecchini’s best works is the module-based sculpture installations, made with hundreds of tiny, interconnected steel pieces. Aside from module-based sculptures, Cecchini is also known for other styles of work, like the treehouse he installed in Grenoble, France, called ‘Garden’s Jewel.’ With his diverse skill and style, Cecchini is one of the great contemporary artists.