Paris Internationale comes to Milan

A new international chapter at the crossroads of Milano Art Week and Milano Design Week. For the first time in its history, Paris Internationale - the independent contemporary art fair founded in Paris in 2015 and known for its experimental and curatorial approach - is leaving France and choosing Milan as its new home. Staying true to its original spirit, the fair - which has previously taken place in unused historic private mansions in Paris - will run from April 18 to 21, 2026, at Palazzo Galbani (via Fabio Filzi 25). The venue is a 1950s modernist building currently undergoing renovation by Park Associati. “Choosing Milan reflects the strong connection between the fair’s identity and the city’s cultural environment, where art, design, architecture and industry come together in a dynamic and international ecosystem. It is a city where ideas move freely across disciplines, and where both private and institutional collectors actively support contemporary creation. Above all, it felt like the right moment. Coming to Milan was not an automatic or opportunistic decision, but a thoughtful one, linked to a specific stage in the city’s cultural growth,” said Nerina Ciaccia, co-founder of Paris Internationale / Galleria Ciaccia Levi.


Nicolas Party and Sonia Kacem presented by Gregor Staiger, Zurich/Milan at Paris Internationale 2016 © Aurélien Mole

Paris Internationale will keep its small and focused format, with around 35 selected galleries and 2,000 square meters of exhibition space. The goal is to prioritize quality, attention and time, rather than large-scale growth. The fair aims to create a space for long-term relationships between artists, galleries and collectors, where the market meets research and experimentation, and where an artwork purchase often becomes the beginning of an ongoing dialogue.
The Milan venue, Palazzo Galbani - designed between 1956 and 1959 by Eugenio and Ermenegildo Soncini with Giuseppe Pestalozza, and featuring structural work by Pier Luigi Nervi - is a key example of Italian modernism. Today, it is being reimagined for contemporary use, restoring its architectural clarity and identity. The exhibition design will be created by Christ & Gantenbein, the Swiss architecture studio known for its refined approach to cultural and exhibition spaces, reinforcing the visual and spatial language that has shaped the fair’s identity over the years.


Nicole Gravier presented by Ermes Ermes, Rome at Paris Internationale 2023 © Margot Montigny

Born as an independent, gallery-led initiative, Paris Internationale continues to operate as a non-profit, with free entry and a strong focus on accessibility, curatorial risk and creative freedom. It positions itself as an alternative to traditional art fairs and as a platform for discovery, dialogue and experimentation. Milan thus becomes a natural extension of its identity - a place to slow down, build relationships, challenge established formats, and imagine new ways of connecting art, the market and critical thinking.