Market

Photography stars in Milan with MIA Photo Fair

The 15th edition features more than 70 Italian and international galleries focusing on a lively market with accessible proposals

by Silvia Anna Barrilà

21 March 2026

Pietro Paolini, «Buscando a Bolivar», 2009-14, Courtesy Gaze Off

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Latin focus
The awards
Between confirmations and discoveries
Market data

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Photography is the protagonist in Milan for the 15th edition of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas, the trade fair taking place at Superstudio Più in Zona Tortona, from Thursday 19 March to Sunday 22 March 2026. 111 exhibitors took part, including 76 galleries (in line with last year), 27 international and 24 at their first participation. The event attracted a large number of visitors both at the vernissage, on Wednesday 18 March, with 2,500 visitors, and on the opening days. Like last year, the quality of the event has risen, although it remains uneven and sometimes not sufficiently showcased in small stands. The city is also increasingly involved, with an off circuit of exhibitions and photography projects that also enter places not usually used for art, such as hotels (environmental installations by Erik Kessels at the Senato Hotel and by Goldschmied and Chiari at the Straf Hotel) and restaurants (underwater photographs by Alberto Podio together with sound performances by Andrea Ghisalberti at L'altro in Porta Romana).

Héctor Zamora, «Sciame di dirigibili», 2022, Courtesy The artist and Albarrán Bourdais.

Latin Focus

It is not always easy to navigate the aisles of the fair, not least because the curated sections are scattered throughout and not grouped together, which allows them to bring in other proposals, but disperses the themes. This year's geographical focus, again curated by Rischa Paterlini, is very broad and covers the Latin sphere. Artists from Spain and Latin America are included, as well as shots taken in those areas by artists of other nationalities, to reveal a view from the outside.

We are thinking of the photographs taken in Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela by the Florentine Pietro Paolini, presented by Gaze Off in Lugano, among which there is one depicting a citizen voting and reminding us of our referendum appointment these days, which has been much discussed for months now.

Gerry Johansson, «Anaya de Alba, Spain», 2021, © Gerry Johansson, Courtesy Viasaterna

Or the dialogue presented by the Milanese gallery Viasaterna between photographs taken in Spain by the Italian Guido Guidi (vintage, EUR 25,000) together with those of the Swedish Gerry Johnansson (EUR 3,200). Also on the stand, which has been selling since the first day, are Japanese Takashi Homma with his photographs of mushrooms contaminated by Fukushima and his series of the ocean seen from Hawaii (€3-7,000), and the winter landscapes of Ohio by English Vanessa Winship (nominated for the Bnl prize, prices €5,000). Berlin's Galerie Springer, which had participated last year with Arnold Odermatt's interesting work in the Swiss focus, also showed the German Evelyn Hofer's glimpse of Mexico, who uses a very complicated and now disused technique called 'dye-transfer' (prices EUR 6,500-8,400). Next to her, a car dialogue between Odermatt himself (4-12,000 euros) and Saul Leiter (4,800-7,500 euros).

The prizes

Numerous prizes were also awarded at this edition of the fair. Winner of the prize from the fair's Title Sponsor, BNL Bnp Paribas, was Mexican artist Héctor Zamora, presented by the Madrid gallery Albarrán Bourdais, with a work created for the Venice Biennial, "Swarm of Airships". Next to him on the standIvan Argote, also with works linked to Italia, made at Villa Borghese during a residency, and the Spaniard Alberto Garcia Alix, with works also made in Venice in 1986 (for all three the price range is 10-25 thousand euro).

Gleeson Paulino, «Faz de conta», 2018, Courtesy ORMA/CHROMA

The Miramart Prize, awarded by the collector Andera Fustinoni to enrich the collection of the Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure, remained in the Latin Focus section. But this time it went to a young discovery: the winner is the Brazilian Gleeson Paulino, presented at the stand shared by the Milan gallery Orma and the São Paulo gallery Chroma (prices from 1,000 to 5,400 euro). The presentation includes other Brazilians who are also very well known in their homeland, such as Claudio Edinger and Araquem Alcamtara, who are still little known here, so prices remain moderate, up to 7-10,000 euro.

Between confirmations and discoveries

There were also several well-known names exhibited at the fair, including Roger Ballen with Building, which began representing him exclusively in Italia last year. But also Regina José Galindo, whose Prometeo immediately sold a work from the archive, the result of a performance in which she spent money won from the Guatemalan government to hire a hitman to teach her how to shoot (12-20 thousand euros). Besides her, on the stand is a dialogue between the Italian Attilio Solzi and the Albanian Erjola Zhuka. Sofia-based +359 Gallery Ltd has brought Moataz Nasr, an Egyptian, who has been working in Italia with Continua for years, and who in "The Slave Market" takes up the 19th-century French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, to affirm how women today continue to be objectified (prices €22-25 thousand, 80 thousand for the sculpture).

Evelin Hofer, «Barragan, Mexico», 1983, Courtesy Estate of Evelin Hofer, Galerie Springer

The stand is included in the Beyond Photography section, curated by Domenico De Chirico, which also includes A Pick Gallery in Turin, with a dialogue between four artists: Mila Dovrevska, a Macedonian living in Milan, who starts with portraits of her loved ones and embroiders them by going beyond the photographic technique and taking up traditional techniques of her country (€400-4. 000); Leila Erdman-Tabukashvili, a Siberian, who combines the language of reportage and fashion photography, texts and images, to tell the story of young people who, in places like Ukraine and Jordan, seek normality and fun (€700-2.200 euros); Laura Quinonez, a Colombian, who carries out research on the 'cimarrones', the African runaway slaves, starting from their hair, through which they transmitted coded messages, or in which they hid objects (1,300-1.700 euros); finally, Maria Elisa Ferraris, an Italian, who conducts her research in Sardinia - one of the first lands to emerge in the Mediterranean - talking about nature but also folklore (800-1,700 euros).The Ettore Molinario Prize, which went to the Vue Gallery in Brussels, at its first ever exhibition, also rewarded novelty. The gallery, dedicated to photography, with a focus on feminism and gender, was founded only last January by Charlie Helleputte and Julie Scheurweghs, who is also the artist of the project presented on being a mother (prices from 1,500 to 8,500 euros).

Market Data

The accessible language of photography, as well as the price level, make this sector a lively market, even one that is growing significantly, according to a report by Deloitte on 2025, which is also a sponsor of the fair. Published just a few days ago, the report speaks of a total turnover in 2025, taking into account auction data from Christie's, Sotheby's and Philips, of $40.4 million, up considerably from $33.9 million in 2024. The average unsold rate dropped to 17.1 per cent from 20 per cent and the average lot price rose to $3.4m ($2.4m in 2024). There were 12 auctions devoted exclusively to photography, down from 14 in 2024 and 25 in 2023, but this is due to the fact that the most important photography lots are increasingly being included in modern and contemporary art auctions. At the top end of the market we find the great masters of the 20th century, such as Man Ray, Cartier Bresson, El Lissitzky, but also the protagonists of the Pictures Generation, such as Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger.0
According to the report, Italian photographers auctioned in our country recorded a total revenue of just over €1m for 249 authors. However, the market is still strongly polarised, with a few highly recognisable names absorbing the prevailing share of the value. The ranking of Italian authors is dominated by Mario Giacomelli, followed by Luigi Ghirri and Gabriele Basilico. Overall, a dynamic and inclusive sector, supported by young collectors, affordable prices and communicative immediacy. It is hoped that the fair will continue to improve and attract new audiences.