This post was originally published on artnews.com
This fall, Austrian dealer Thaddaeus Ropac is opening a new gallery in Milan, where he will be a big fish in a small pond. Few other galleries of his caliber currently operate in Milan, a city whose art scene is home to galleries such as Massimo De Carlo and Gió Marconi.
The Milan operation will be Ropac’s seventh international venue after ones in London, Paris, Salzburg, and Seoul.
“We decided we wanted to be there as one of the first international galleries [in Milan]. When we opened in Seoul five years ago it felt like the art scene was at a formative stage, and now it’s such a hub,” he told ARTnews. “I feel Milan will be the same, it’s an opportunity to be part of the evolution of the art scene there. As a gallery we have always wanted to grow organically, and I see it not so much as a need to grow, but an opportunity. It’s expanding what we can do for our artists and the collectors we work with. The city feels like a natural choice for us.”
Located in the historic Palazzo Belgioioso, the new gallery spans more than 3,000 square feet. Elena Bonanno di Linguaglossa is heading up the Milan operation. She recently joined Ropac as an executive director and previously worked as a senior director at Lévy Gorvy Dayan.
“The new Milan gallery will be like a window into the city; the exhibition space will extend to the public square outside where it will be possible to show sculptures. It will be a tangible space, it’s going to be inclusive, and the public will be involved,” Bonanno di Linguaglossa told ARTnews.
As for rich collectors, Ropac will be hoping to tune into the growing cohort of wealthy expats lured to Italy, especially its financial capital Milan, by the Italian government offering a flat rate of €100,000 since 2017. Many of these rich foreigners are coming from the UK following the new Labour government’s decision to abolish the non-dom status, meaning that a British resident only pays UK tax on the money they earn in their home country.
The new gallery can also expect to benefit from the foot traffic near the Duomo and the Palazzo Citterio, a modern and contemporary art museum that opened last month. Half a century in the making, the Palazzo Citterio is symbolic of Milan’s growing status as a contemporary art destination.
“It really feels like since we started thinking about opening a gallery here, it has got more attractive by the minute for a number of reasons,” Ropac said. “When we open in new locations, becoming embedded in the local community is essential for us, and this includes being open to exploring local artists, just as we did when we opened in London and then Seoul, representing many more London-based and more Korean artists. We’ll have a focus on artists who haven’t been shown in Milan or even in Italy before, as well as reflecting the roster of artists we represent and our international exhibition program.”