MEGA IS WHAT MILAN WAS MISSING
- Victoria Comstock-Kershaw
- Mar 31
- 5 min read
“The aim is to have people say, ‘What are we doing tonight? I don’t know—let’s go to MEGA. There’ll be something interesting happening there.’”
“It started as a conversation about what was missing in Milan,” says Marta Orsola Sironi, “We wanted to create a place where people could meet, could enjoy their evening, could enjoy art in a very informal yet very friendly and sophisticated way.” She’s one of the three founders of MEGA Art Fair, along with Mattia Pozzoni and Mauro Mattei, and the three speak about the fair—and about each other—with genuine affection (Pozzoni officiated Sironi and Mattei’s wedding). Over the course of an hour-long interview, they tease, finish each other’s thoughts, and regularly break into laughter. What’s clear is that MEGA isn’t just their shared project—it’s an extension of their friendship, their working rhythm, and a shared belief that the art world should feel more like a conversation than a transaction.
Along with Mattia Pozzoni and Mauro Mattei, Sironi has shaped MEGA into more than just a fair: it’s a social platform, a cultural happening, and a much-needed shake-up to the usual art week formula. Taking place from 2–6 April 2025 during Milan Art Week, the second edition unfolds in a reclaimed 1950s industrial site in the Scalo di Porta Romana district—walking distance from Fondazione Prada, but a world away in mood. Instead of sterile rows of booths, MEGA offers a curated exhibition, a full day-to-night public programme, and a sense of openness that’s as social as it is aesthetic. “The aim,” Sironi says, “is to have people say, ‘What are we doing tonight? I don’t know—let’s go to MEGA. There’ll be something interesting happening there.’”
Pozzoni puts it more bluntly: “People want experiences rather than simple, plain purchases. The market is different than it was a few years ago, but it wasn’t giving the right kind of attachment to art. Nowadays, people want to connect with art in a much more meaningful way; we are getting back to that sort of emotional attachment. The way collectors behave and work– they're looking for something different. I think in that respect MEGA is different.”
Last year’s edition was organised quickly, mostly by calling on “family and friends,” Pozzoni says. This year, they issued a proper international open call, and the fair has grown. 23 galleries will take part, from cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Harare, Tbilisi, Mexico City, and of course, Milan. “We were very happy to confirm galleries who came last year—like Nicoletti, Romero Paprocki, Monti 8—but also to welcome new ones from outside of Europe,” Pozzoni says. “Third Born from Mexico City, First Floor Gallery from Zimbabwe, and Kera from Georgia… that’s something we’re really proud of.”
Curation plays a larger role this year too. “At first we were trying to focus on young and emerging galleries and artists,” Pozzoni explains, “That’s our area of expertise, that’s where we have fun. But this year we are going to have some modern masters in the show, it’s going to be a much more diverse grouping of galleries and artists. We are going a bit above and beyond the classical art fair structure. One of our strongest additions is the curated section.” That section, titled Kindred Spirits and Shapeshifters, is led by UK-based curator and collector Marcelle Joseph, who was given carte blanche to create a section of the fair dedicated to exploring identity, beauty, and fashion through masks, wigs, makeup and apparel, lending itself naturally to a queer and female-led lens.
As for the rest of the programme? Stacked. “This is exactly where we stand out,” Sironi says. Over the five days, there’ll be live music, talks, screenings, and parties—“from morning to midnight,” as Mattei jokes, though he’s largely stuck “doing the dirty job behind the scenes—permits, invoices, customs…”
Among the highlights: a video screening with the Seven Gravity Collection (“a very important collective of video art collectors from Milan”), a talk on artist residencies featuring Palazzo Monti and Via Farini, a performance by Ambra Castagnetti’s new music collective Supernature, and a panel with curators from AWITA and Saloon London. Kabul Magazine is involved too, hosting a talk tied to their recent publication on queer and transfeminist perspectives.
“We're placing ourselves as a social-cultural hub,” Pozzoni says. “These talks, screenings, music events… they’re not side-shows. For us, they’re as important—if not more important—than the art on the walls.”
It’s an ethos that filters down into how the fair is structured. “We take care of logistics for the galleries,” Pozzoni says. “They don’t have to ship staff over to install works. They can fly in on the day of the opening, get handed a glass of champagne, and spend time with collectors. It’s a small thing—but it’s huge.” There’s also no pressure for galleries to be present 24/7. “We’re not gallerists,” Mattei points out. “But we all work as advisers, so we’ve got our own network of clients and we’re used to looking after them. The galleries can trust that their people will be well taken care of.”
That attention to atmosphere has had knock-on effects. “One of the nicest things that happened last year,” Sironi says, “was that galleries started going out together, having dinners, forming relationships. Romero Paprocki is now working closely with L.U.P.O. in Milan. We’re trying to build community—not just sales.”
So who are they trying to reach? “A bit of everything,” Pozzoni says. “It’s a growing group of collectors. There are local collectors, Italian ones, but also international people that are moving to Milan.” Milan has received a flurry of press recently, from the Financial Times dubbing the city the ‘art capital of the future’ the Telegraph claiming that since hosting Expo in 2015 the city is well on its way to becoming ‘Italy’s foremost cultural city’. “It was cool that last year, the majority of the people were speaking in English. One of the aims we have with this project is to bring foreign talent to town and to showcase them in town.”
And what makes MEGA different from the big players? Sironi is clear: “We’re not better or worse—it’s about being different. We’re creating an environment. People come, they stay, they talk, they come back. People will text us saying we’re going for dinner together, can you suggest something? They develop relationships. It’s an invitation.”
Victoria Comstock-Kershaw is a London-based critic and arts writer.
