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Gokhun Baltaci

Must-See in Milan: Alex Katz, Alvaro Barrington, Elena Damiani, and More

If you’re in Milan for men’s fashion week, don’t miss these exhibitions around town with work by artists like Alex Katz, Alvaro Barrington, Elena Damiani and more.

This January, Milan is set to kick off 2025 with a dynamic lineup of artists, from Gökhun Baltacı debuting his exhibition in Italy, to London-based Alvaro Barrington’s multimedia exploration of self-expression and cultural pride. Don’t miss these powerful exhibitions shaping Milan’s art scene this year.

Alex Katz

Monica de Cardenas

Porta Garibaldi

Alex Katz Monica De Cardenas Installation view of Alex Katz at Monica De Cardenas, courtesy of the artist and Monica De Cardenas.

Alex Katz is set to premiere his monumental exhibition, “Cartoons and Drawings,” at Monica De Cardenas in Milan. The American artist is showcasing his Renaissance-influenced painting process from quick pencil sketches to mashing powder pigments on the canvas, and masterfully finishing with oil. While his process is similar to the frescoes of Raphael, and Leonardo, he uses simplicity in his portraits to create an intense intimacy with the viewer. Katz cartoons come to life with their subtle expressions elegantly capturing the emotional essence of these human figures. 

Why we love it: Katz’s philosophical approach to art blends traditional techniques with modern and postmodern influences, creating works that balance spontaneity with discipline. His timeless art is appreciated by every generation. 

Alex Katz at Monica de Cardenas
November 22, 2024 – February 8, 2025

Alvaro Barrington

Massimodecarlo

Città Studi

Alvaro Barrington Installation view of Alvaro Barrington’s “My Mama Told Me You Was a Problem Bitch,” courtesy of the artist and Massimodecarlo.

Massimodecarlo unveils the exhibition “My Mama Told Me You Was A Problem Bitch,” by Alvaro Barrington. The London-based artist draws from his complex relationship with America, race, and class to explore Black identity. He confronts viewers with the challenges of hypervisibility and social invisibility by using unconventional materials like concrete, jute rope, and denim. In this captivating exhibit, Barrington reimagines American landscapes, drawing on historical legacies of migration and labor. His work oozes of unique blends of influence, the title, inspired by 90s rap, reflects themes of self-expression and cultural pride. 

Why we love it: Barrington’s work pays tribute to Kobe Bryant, with references to AfriCOBRA and art historical icons, blending personal narratives and global influences.

Alvaro Barrington at Massimo De Carlo
January 15 – February 15, 2025

Elena Damiani

Francesca Minini

Lambrate

Elena Damiani Elena Damiani, “Black Crested Saguaro,” 2024, hand carved black Santa Ana marble, 148×58×58 cm, detail, courtesy of the artist and Francesca Minini.

Francesca Minini presents “Weather Bodies,” a solo exhibition by Elena Damiani that explores the transformative power the process of weather and weathering holds. Through plant-like sculptures made from marble, travertine, copper, and bronze, Damiani reflects on the interconnectivity of organic and inorganic realms, blurring the boundaries between life and non-life. These materials participate in her exploration of adaptation, temporality, and the interdependence between bodies and environments. Enchantingly, Damiani deconstructs the viewer’s perception of the relationship between humans and the geological. 

Why we love it: In Damiani’s third installment to her project that started in 2020, her abstract sculptures take the viewer on a journey through the process of weather and its connection to human transformation. 

Elena Damiani at Francesca Minini
January 22 – March 8, 2025

Gökhun Baltacı

Kaufmann Repetto

Brera

Gokhun Baltaci Gokhun Baltaci, “The sky is black and golden and the moon is shining red,” 2025, installation view, kaufmann repetto, Milan, courtesy of the artist and kaufmann repetto Milan / New York, photo by Andrea Rossetti.

Turkish artist Gökhun Baltacı debuts his exhibition “the sky is black and golden and the moon is shining red,” for the first time in Italy at Kaufmann Repetto. In this series of pastel works, Baltacı creates dreamlike unsettling scenes where familiar objects subtly shift the tone of the comfortable narrative, blurring the boundaries between the familiar and the strange. Pulling from his roots in Ankara’s underground art scene, Baltacı morphs the mundane into symbols of psychological depth. The exhibition invites viewers into a world where meaning is fluid, and eerie color palettes evoke both wonder and unease.

Why we love it: Rhythmically incorporating music into the exhibition, viewers can hear both Nirvana and Johann Sebastian Bach throughout the series, while the title references a verse from the 1992 Swans song Picture of Maryanne.

Gökhun Baltacı at Kaufmann Repetto
January 14—February 22, 2025

Haim Steinbach

Lia Rumma

Bovisa

Haim Steinbach Installation view of Haim Steinbach at Galleria Lia Rumma, courtesy of the artist and Galleria Lia Rumma.

Haim Steinbach‘s exhibition “Beep Honk Toot” at Lia Rumma introduces new perceptions of his iconic text-based and object-oriented works. Spanning across two floors, Steinbach challenges how we perceive language, form, and materiality. The second floor showcases his mid-70s Particle Board with Black Shapes and new shelf arrangements with collectors’ objects, continuing his exploration of grids, proportions, and object grammar. Through humor and precise arrangements, Steinbach uses an array of familiar materials to challenge the norm. 

Why we love it: Steinbach’s artworks, like the wall text hello again (2013), are transformed into thrilling puzzles of the past and given new life in this exhibit. 

Haim Steinbach at Lia Rumma
October 3, 2024 – January 29, 2025

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Saodat Ismailova, Jacopo Benassi, and Katherine Bradford are among the artists with not-to-be-missed solo exhibitions in Milan this month.

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