From 19 to 22 March 2026, MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas returns to Superstudio Più to opens its 15th edition in Milano. The fair confirms its prominent position for photography in Italy and on the international scene.
Directed by Francesca Malgara, Mia Photo Fair BNP Paribas brings together galleries, institutions and publishers in a programme that reflects the evolving landscape of contemporary photography.
Metamorphosis is the structuring theme of this 15th edition, reflecting the transformations shaping photographic language today. The concept refers both to the historical evolution of the photographic medium—from analogue techniques to digital experimentation—and to the broader cultural and social shifts conveyed by images.
In three weeks, the fair will try to show how photogtaphy isn’t a fixed discipline but rather a constantly shifting field, capable of absorbing new technologies, narratives and perspectives. As stated by director Francesca Malgara, the fair “itself is a dynamic space for encounter and transformation, in which photography becomes a tool for interpreting the present and imagining the future”.
Alongside the Main Section dedicated to galleries presenting curated projects around the central theme, three sections offer more focused perspectives of the medium :
- Curated by Domenico de Chirico, Beyond Photography – Dialogue investigates the porous boundaries between photography and other artistic practices, from installation and sculpture to video and performance.
- Curated by Emanuela Mazzonis, Reportage Beyond Reportage revisits documentary photography in an era saturated with images, proposing slower and more layered narratives that question rather than simply record reality.
- Curated by Rischa Paterlini, Focus Latino gathers artists connected to Latin American and diasporic contexts, exploring questions of identity, migration and cultural transformation.
Institutions also play a progressive role within the fair. The institutional section brings together museums, foundations and cultural organisations whose projects expand the historical and critical scope of the event.
Among them are MUSEC – Museum of Cultures, Lugano, Le Stanze della Fotografia in Venice and Fondazione Sella, alongside other organisations presenting archival material, research-based exhibitions and editorial initiatives. Their presence reinforces the dialogue between the art market, scholarship and curatorial practice that increasingly characterises major photography fairs.
Founded by Ettore Molinario and Rossella Colombari, Casa Museo Molinario Colombari is invited for the second consecutive year at the fair. Metamorphosis is a the very core of their programme with “a metaphor for human experience and identity in a constant state of becoming ”, with works by Lisetta Carmi, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Martine Gutierrez, Sarah Jones, or Barrie Schwortz, amongst others.
A series of special projects also punctuates the fair. Among them is the photographic reportage One Does Not Grow Up Alone by Giorgio Galimberti, presented by BNL BNP Paribas and focused on communities in Milan’s outskirts.
Other presentations include projects connected to the Deloitte Photo Grant, an exhibition of Polaroids by William Wegman and a tribute to photographer Elisabetta Catalano. Together, these initiatives extend the fair beyond the traditional gallery format, offering visitors a broader reflection on photography’s social, cultural and artistic roles.
Through its thematic framework and expanded programme, the 2026 edition of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas positions photography as a medium in perpetual transformation—one that continues to question how images are produced, circulated and understood today.
And for the very first year, the fair extend its programme in Milan, with an OFF Circuit gathering programmes exploring photography beyond the boundaries of the fair, activating a widespread network of exhibitions and events across the city.
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