Exhibitions in Milan: guide to May 2026 museum shows

Exhibitions in Milan: what to see in May 2026

Milan offers a dense programme of museum exhibitions: retrospectives, site‑specific installations and thematic displays in both public and private venues. Below is a curated list of highlights with practical details on dates and locations.

• Andy Warhol. Passaggio in Italia 1975-1987 — Refettorio delle Stelline, Corso Magenta 20. On view until 20 June 2026. A documentary exhibition exploring Warhol's relationship with Italy through archival materials and selected works. Free admission.
• Metafisica / Metafisiche — various venues (Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento, Gallerie d'Italia, Grande Brera – Palazzo Citterio). A distributed exhibition system running until 21 June 2026 that pairs classical Metaphysical masters with 20th and 21st century artists.
• I Macchiaioli — Palazzo Reale. Exhibition open until 14 June 2026, offering a critical overview of the movement curated by leading Italian scholars.
• Anselm Kiefer. Le Alchimiste — Palazzo Reale. Site‑specific project in the Sala delle Cariatidi, on display until 27 September 2026 (7 February–27 September 2026): large canvases that engage memory, secret knowledge and rebirth.
• Chiharu Shiota. The Moment the Snow Melts — Mudec. Site‑specific installation curated by Sara Rizzo, on view until 28 June 2026; it transforms the museum's Agora into a fragile, luminous landscape.
• The Meaning of Snow — Mudec. Exhibition until 28 June 2026 exploring art, science and the cultural imaginaries linked to snow, including reflections on climate change and mountain overtourism.
• 100 Photographs to Inherit the World — Mudec. A photographic survey until 28 June 2026 that spans two centuries of imagery and juxtaposes different eras and sensibilities.
• THE ONLY TRUE ANARCHY IS THAT OF POWER — PAC Milano. The first major European monograph of the Australian artist, running until 7 June 2026; the show examines noise as an organizing principle of visual language.
• The Gentleman – Style and Male Jewellery — Palazzo Morando. Exhibition until 27 September 2026 that traces the cultural meaning of male ornament through garments, jewels and archival material.
• Wonders of the Grand Tour — Museo Poldi Pezzoli. On view until 4 May 2026: a major display produced in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featuring works such as Giovanni Paolo Panini's Rome Antica.

Practical tips: check opening hours, ticketing and access rules on each museum's official website before your visit; many exhibitions extend beyond May, so verify current dates. For immersive installations and large‑scale site‑specific works, consider prioritizing Mudec and the Palazzo Reale projects.