Ben Brown to Open New Gallery in Milan

Ben Brown, founder of Ben Brown Fine Arts, plans to open a new gallery and office in Milan, attracted by Italy's favorable tax conditions and dynamic art scene. Brown, who opened his first gallery in London's Mayfair in 2004, now operates spaces in Hong Kong (2009), New York (2019), and Palm Beach (2021). He noted that Italy has replaced England as a tax haven in Europe. Brown's career began under his mother, painter Rosamund Brown, and included a decade as director of Sotheby's modern and contemporary art department. He is known for discovering and promoting artists like Candida Höfer, whom he first exhibited in 2004, and the Lalanne couple, whose work he championed in 2007. A recent Lalanne exhibition, "Planète Lalanne," curated by Jérôme Neutres at Palazzo Rota Ivancich during the 2024 Venice Biennale, previewed his Italian expansion. Brown has ties to Italy: he served on the board of Artefiera, speaks Italian, and represents Italian artists Lucio Fontana and Alighiero Boetti. No specific date or location for the Milan space has been announced.