Finarte auction to save WOW Spazio Fumetto museum in Milan

On February 27, 2026, Finarte, in collaboration with Urania Casa d'Aste, will hold a charity auction to raise funds for WOW Spazio Fumetto, the Milanese museum dedicated to comics that closed in June 2025 due to a €180,000 debt to the Municipality of Milan. Founded in 2011 by the Fondazione Franco Fossati, the museum had become a national reference point for scholars, enthusiasts, and professionals, hosting exhibitions, meetings, and educational activities. The auction features over 100 original works donated by leading Italian comic artists, including Altan, Paolo Bacilieri, Sandro Dossi, Silvia Ziche, and Zerocalcare. Notable lots include Silver's Lupo Alberto n. 421 (estimate €2,500–4,000), a Tex drawing by Pasquale Del Vecchio (€100–200), and Zerocalcare's Enciclopaedia Calcarea: Guida ragionata all'universo di Zerocalcare (estimate under €1,000). The accessible estimates aim to attract a wide audience of collectors and fans. Daniele Gradella, head of Finarte's Comics Department, stated: 'This auction wants to be a call to all lovers of the ninth art so that they can help WOW rise again stronger than before.' A preview exhibition will be held at Finarte's Milan venue. The proceeds will support the museum's transition and search for a new location to preserve and make its archival heritage accessible again.