Inspired by the legacy of Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008) and a desire to honour the spirit of his work – embracing openness, interdisciplinarity, dialogue, and collaboration – the 29th edition of miart, organized by Fiera Milano and scheduled from 4 to 6 April 2025 at Allianz MiCo, presents talks among friends, a series of five events celebrating the ability of Milan’s institutions to foster collaborations and synergies that transcend the divide between public and private, push beyond traditional boundaries, and venture into new disciplines or reimagine public spaces.

Each of the five participating institutions – Fondazione Prada, Museo del Novecento, PAC Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, Pirelli HangarBicocca, and Triennale Milano – has curated a public event reflecting their ongoing research and current exhibitions. These events explore the theme of collaboration and “friendship” in the arts, understood as a commitment to mutual, equal, and enduring support rooted in solidarity.

The inaugural event of the talks among friends programme will take place on Thursday, 28 November, at 6:30 PM at Pirelli HangarBicocca, which is currently hosting a solo exhibition of Jean Tinguely (open until 2 February 2025). The event will feature a lecture by Annalisa Rimmaudo, curator of the contemporary art collections at the Centre Georges Pompidou, titled Jean Tinguely: Happenings, Collaborations, Ephemeral Works. It will focus on Tinguely’s production of ephemeral and collaborative works, delving into the most radical aspects of his artistic practice: his ability to forge relationships and connections with other artists, musicians, and intellectuals, challenging the notion of sole authorship; his insistence on questioning the nature and value of the artwork and resisting its museumisation; and his desire to engage the audience as an active participant in the creative process.

During the evening, Homage to New York, a film shot in 1960 by D.A. Pennebaker, will be screened. This film captures the legendary performance of Tinguely's self-destructing artwork, staged in the garden of MoMA in 1960 with the collaboration of fellow artists, including John Cage, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg, whom he met that same year. Tinguely and Rauschenberg formed a long-lasting friendship and collaborated on numerous occasions, such as the collective work Dylaby created for the Stedelijk Museum in 1962. This project, developed with Daniel Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, Per Olof Ultvedt, and Martial Raysse, stands as one of the most significant examples of collaborative artistic practice within an institutional context during that period.

talks among friends programme:

> 28 November 2024, 6.30 PM | Pirelli HangarBicocca

Jean Tinguely: Happenings, Collaborations, Ephemeral Works

Lecture by Annalisa Rimmaudo

Free entry - Booking information

Lecture Language: Italian

Film language: English without subtitles

> 12 December 2024 | PAC Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea

> January 2025 | Museo del Novecento

> February 2025 | Triennale Milano

> March 2025 | Fondazione Prada