Rauschenberg in Milan (April-October, 2025)

From April 4-6, 2025, the 29th edition of miart, Milan’s annual modern and contemporary fair organized by Fiera Milano, drew upon Rauschenberg’s life and work as its curatorial focus on the occasion of his Centennial. Organized with the theme “Among Friends,” the fair took its inspiration from the fundamental principles of the artist’s practice. A tribute to the spirit of collaboration and transdisciplinarity that guided Rauschenberg’s work, miart 2025 was a space for connection and exchange, reinforcing its role as a global platform for dialogue between artists, galleries, collectors, and art enthusiasts.

As miart’s primary sponsor, leading Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo presented Blue Exit (1961) by Rauschenberg from its corporate collection – previously owned by the esteemed Agrati family and gifted to the bank – in the fair’s VIP lounge. Three additional Rauschenberg works from the Agrati Collection – Scripture (1974), Gulf (1969), and Clearing (1969) – were displayed at Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia in Milan, available for viewing as part of a series of guided tours of the Museum’s vault.

An exhibition entitled Rauschenberg e il Novecento (April 5-June 29, 2025) at Museo del Novecento in Piazza del Duomo further highlighted Rauschenberg’s legacy and continued relevance. The exhibition juxtaposed Rauschenberg’s works from the 1970s and 1980s with some of the Museum’s most revered 20th Century masterpieces, including those by Marino Marini, Alberto Burri, and Umberto Boccioni, among others.  The exhibition created a dynamic dialogue between the American artist’s vision and the rich tapestry of Italian modern art.

An additional exhibition at Gallerie d’Italia entitled An Unexpected Collection: The New Art of the 1960s and a Tribute to Robert Rauschenberg is currently on view (May 30-October 5, 2025). Curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, Associate Curator of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Collections of Modern and Contemporary Art, this exhibition of over 60 works takes visitors on a journey through the radical experimentation of the 1960s, culminating in the most significant developments of the decade following. The exhibition is enriched by exchanges between works that represent both European and American conceptual visual culture.