Kiki Smith, Guy Bourdin, and More Must-See Milan Shows

"Guy Bourdin: Storyteller" at Armani/Silos
February 24, 2023 - August 31, 2023
Inaugurated during Milan Fashion Week, and continuing on through Milan Design Week, Giorgio Armani presents “Guy Bourdin: Storyteller,” currently on view through August 31 at Armani/Silos. In a grand homage to the iconic French photographer, the exhibition closely focuses on the artist’s “narrative intent.” 100 legendary and little seen photographs are shown in vibrant spaces bursting in reds, greens, and pinks—echoing Bourdin’s fierce use of color throughout his oeuvre. 21 black and white photographs display an elevated sense of form and purity of expression, while a room dedicated entirely to cinema pays respect to the artist’s passion for the mystique of thriller aficionado Alfred Hitchcock.

“Bourdin did not follow the crowd and he did not compromise and I identify with that,” said Giorgio Armani. “I don’t believe that there is any other way to make a mark on the collective imagination.”

"Cere anatomiche: La Specola di Firenze | David Cronenberg" at Fondazione Prada
March 24, 2023 - July 17, 2023
On March 24, Fondazione Prada debuted “Cere anatomiche: La Specola di Firenze | David Cronenberg,” currently on view through July 17 in Milan. In a spirited conversation with past and present, 13 eighteenth century “cere anatomiche” (anatomical waxes) in the shape of female models from La Specola—part of the Museum of Natural History and Museum System of the University of Florence—are juxtaposed with a short film, Four Unloved Women, Adrift on a Purposeless Sea, Experience the Ecstasy of Dissection, directed by David Cronenberg. The legendary filmmaker’s creative examination of the enigma of the human body is in direct dialogue with scientific studies in an immaculate presentation by creative agency Random Studio.

“The wax figures of La Specola were created primarily as teaching tools that unlocked the mysteries of the human body…” explained Cronenberg. “But…they happened to produce living characters who seemed to be in the throes of ecstasy. It was this startling choice on the part of the sculptors of these figures that captured my imagination: what if it was the dissection itself that induced that ecstasy, that almost religious rapture?”

Dara Birnbaum at Osservatorio Fondazione Prada
April 13, 2023 - September 25, 2023
On April 13, Fondazione Prada debuts a survey show of artist Dara Birnbaum, on view at the Osservatorio through September 25 in Milan. Curated by Barbara London, with Eva Fabbris and Valentino Catricalà, the compelling exhibition explores Birnbaum’s forceful deconstruction of cultural preconceptions and gender biases through works from 1975 to 2022. The artist's multifaceted installations, videos, works of sound, photography, and 3D Plexiglas prints present an ever-evolving investigation of women’s portrayal in contemporary society. Free-flowing throughout the space, works from diverse eras of Birnbaum’s career— such as Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman (1978-79), which examines the depiction of Wonder Woman in television, and Operations: December 16-17-18 (1998), a sound work which juxtaposes musical score and American news of the bombing in Iraq by the U.S—are in complex and riveting dialogue.

"Kiki Smith: the cat himself knows" at Galleria Raffaella Cortese
February 17, 2023 - May 18, 2023
On February 17, Galleria Raffaella Cortese introduced their fifth solo show with artist Kiki Smith, titled “the cat himself knows,” currently on view through May 18. Inspired by the resourceful cats who call the moat of Castello Sforzesco in Milan their humble abode, Smith’s alluring sculptures and drawings of the city’s dynamic community provoke a sensitive dialogue between human, animal, and the changing urban landscape. Titles such as Heart in Hand (2015), Mercy (2022), and Empath 046 (2022) suggest opportunities for nourishing exchanges between all of mother earth’s creatures for the well-being of our souls and our delicate environment.

Lorenzo Brinati and Frida Kim at Cadogan Gallery
April 19, 2023 - May 3, 2023
During the 2023 iteration of Salone del Mobile, Cadogan Gallery celebrates its newest space in Milan with two lively works—a permanent sculpture by Tuscan artist Lorenzo Brinati and a temporary floral presentation by Korean floral designer Frida Kim, on view from April 19 through May 3. In a spirited conversation of stability and ephemerality, Brinati’s Momento (1979) stands regally in the courtyard, while Kim’s fresh and dry compositions play out beautifully within the walls of the gallery. Memento, made of granite pillars derived from the Island of Elba, are exquisitely balanced in an ancient technique that invokes the meditative strength of Tibetan monks. Journeying inside to Kim’s breathtaking creation sustains viewers in a reflective state, echoing the blossoming and fading of England’s winter gardens, and of all forms of life.