Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

Abstract

Italy is renowned world-wide for its cultural heritage but contemporarily being resistant to innovation, however Milan can be viewed as an exception. it’s a city which combines art, fashion, finance and design, and it has been recognised as a future art capital. Nevertheless, there is a significant absence of scholarly research analysing the Milanese art market in a systematic manner. The aim of this dissertation is to answer the following research question: “What factors will allow Milan to establish itself within the European art landscape, and what are the challenges that might limit its rise as an art capital?”. This research investigates the factors which could enable or constrain Milan’s rise within the European art landscape. To do so a qualitative analysis of published professional interviews, which were used as proxy primary data. This dissertation reveals that Milan’s rise as a European art capital is overall driven by optimism and international ambition, however, is constrained by Italian structural fragility.  Finally, the success of the city depends on its ability to balance international prestige as well as inclusivity and long-term institutional sustainability.

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