Visit HangarBicocca, Italy's Coolest Art Space

HangarBicocca is a contemporary art space in Milan. A former industrial space previously owned by Ansaldo-Breda in the area which was once dominated by Pirelli factories, it was converted to house exhibitions and events. The area has become urbanised and trendy with shops, houses and galleries popping up all around since HangarBiccoca's opening. With a unique approach to organising events, utilising space and involving the general public as well as a rather special site, the HangarBicocca is one of the most interesting contemporary art spaces in the world.

Any serious fans of contemporary art, curation and architecture visiting Italy will want to find a holiday rental in Milan and stop by the museum for themselves.

Alongside a single permanent indoor exhibition and an outdoor installation, the 15,000 square metre space houses specific temporary exhibitions. Four solo exhibitions take place each year as well as events and it caters to media such as performance, music and film. The space was established in 2004 and draws leading international artists to the museum each year. Its artistic programme is characterised by its focus on research, experimentation and interaction.

The permanent external installation is a piece by Fausto Melotti, an artist, writer and theoretician, called “La Sequenza”. It was placed in the garden outside HangarBicocca in 2010, and the work welcomes visitors to the exhibition space across a kind of symbolic threshold. It acts as a passageway to the art of today through the work of a great master of the recent past.

The internal permanent exhibition is also one of the most prominent and astounding features of the museum, “The Seven Heavenly Palaces” by German artist Anselm Kiefer.

Made specifically for the site, it consists of seven towers made of reinforced concrete, each weighing 90 tonnes and varying in height between 14 and 18 metres. It takes its name from the palaces described in an ancient Hebrew tract, the Sefer Hechalot or "Book of Palaces".

Presently, works by Juan Munoz and Damián Ortega are on display in two temporary solo exhibitions but HangarBicocca additionally regularly hosts events offered to the public and free of charge. HB Kids offers creative adventures, films and activities for children and HB Public has a programme of film festivals, guided tours, talks from the curator and artists and, even, bicycle tours of the Bicocca District.

With long opening hours and a great restaurant attached it's the perfect place to spend a lazy day wandering around on a holiday. The museum is only open from Thursday to Sunday and can be closed for private events so be sure to check online before visiting. This is one attraction that might surprise you and is not to be missed in Milan.