Nicola Ricciardi (born 1985 in Milan, Italy) is a curator, author, and cultural manager who has reshaped Italy’s contemporary art landscape. Since October 2020, he has served as Artistic Director of miart, Milan’s premier modern and contemporary art fair.
Ricciardi began his professional journey as Artistic Director of OGR – Officine Grandi Riparazioni in Turin (2016–2020), where he established the venue as a major European hub for visual and performative arts. Academically, he holds a degree from Università Cattolica in Milan and a Master in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, New York. He also contributed to major events like the 55th Venice Biennale (2013) and the Berlin Biennale (2012).
Under Ricciardi’s leadership, miart has seen significant growth. The fair not only rebounded post-pandemic but expanded its international reach—by 2023 hosting galleries from over 27 countries, doubling award and acquisition funds, and deepening its ties to Milan’s broader cultural ecosystem. His thematic “Crescendo” approach reflects a consistent upward trajectory and fresh curatorial innovation.
A vocal supporter of cross-disciplinary collaboration, Ricciardi has emphasized the synergy between contemporary and modern art, design weeks, and public engagement—positioning miart as a hub of cultural exchange.
