Galleria Raffaella Cortese

What Galleria Raffaella Cortese does

Galleria Raffaella Cortese is a privately held contemporary art gallery founded in 1995 by Raffaella Cortese and operating as Raffaella Cortese SRL, registered in Milan, Italy. The gallery represents approximately 30 transgenerational international artists working primarily in photography, installation, video, and performance, with a long-standing programmatic emphasis on women artists and the introduction of pioneering American women artists to the Italian contemporary art scene. Its core service is the representation and exhibition of these artists through curated shows in its own spaces and at major international art fairs.

The gallery operates four interconnected exhibition spaces at Via A. Stradella 7, 1, 4, and 15 in Milan's Città Studi district, plus a 12-square-meter project space (the Aedicula) opened in 2022 in Albisola Superiore on the Ligurian Riviera, which hosts new commissions by younger artists in collaboration with other galleries and site-specific works by gallery artists. Supporting services include an online Viewing Room, a periodic newsletter, and a dedicated library and consultation space for scholars, researchers, and students focused on women artists, photography, and Futurism. The technology footprint is minimal: a content website, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook), with no e-commerce or online artwork sales.

Revenue is generated through commissions on primary-market sales of artworks to private collectors and to international museums and institutions, both at the gallery's physical spaces and at the major international art fairs in which it participates (Art Basel Basel/Miami/Paris, Frieze New York, FIAC/Paris+, Arco Madrid, Art Cologne, The Armory Show, Artissima, Miart, Artefiera, Zona Maco, Art Athina, and others). Pricing is private and transaction-based; the gallery is a founding member of ANGAMC, the Italian gallery trade association, and operates with a small in-house team of director, artist liaisons, communications, head preparator, and administration. No external funding, parent company, or institutional investor is disclosed.

Name

Galleria Raffaella Cortese

Legal name

Raffaella Cortese SRL

Website

https://raffaellacortese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Galleria Raffaella Cortese is a privately held Milan-based contemporary art gallery founded in 1995 that represents roughly 30 international artists in photography, installation, video, and performance, selling works to private collectors and museums through its spaces and major international art fairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Gallery

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Art Dealers (45992)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary art gallery
• Artist representation
• Art exhibitions
• Fine art sales
• International art fairs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Art Sales: Primary revenue from selling works by represented artists to private collectors and museums. Gallery earns commission on sales of artworks from its artists.
2. Art Fair Commissions: Revenue from participation in international art fairs where artworks are sold directly to fair visitors and collectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Galleria Raffaella Cortese is a contemporary art gallery that represents approximately 30 international artists working across photography, installation, video, and performance art. The gallery operates four interconnected exhibition spaces in Milan's Città Studi district plus a 12-square-meter project space in Albisola Superiore, sells original artworks to private collectors and museums, and participates extensively in international art fairs.

Product overview

Galleria Raffaella Cortese is a contemporary art gallery established in 1995, representing approximately 30 international artists across photography, installation, video, and performance art. The gallery operates multiple exhibition spaces in Milan's Città Studi district (Via A. Stradella 7, 1, 4, and 15) and a supplementary 12-square-meter project space in Albisola Superiore (opened 2022). Services include artist representation, the Viewing Room for online artwork access, newsletter services, a library and research consultation space, and participation in international art fairs. The gallery maintains a particular focus on women artists and transgenerational dialogue in contemporary art practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gallery Representation Services Representation and exhibition of approximately 30 international contemporary artists across photography, installation, video, and performance art for sale to private collectors and museums.
• Raffaella Cortese | Albisola Project Space 12-square-meter exhibition space in Albisola Superiore on the Ligurian Riviera di Ponente, featuring new commissions by young artists in collaboration with their galleries and site-specific works by gallery artists.
• International Art Fair Participation Participation in major international art fairs including Art Basel, Art Basel Paris, Artissima, Miart, Artefiera, FIAC, Frieze New York, Arco Madrid, The Armory Show, Art Cologne, Art Athina, and Zona Maco to showcase and sell represented artists' works.
• Library and Research Services Dedicated library and consultation space open to scholars, researchers, students, and art enthusiasts, providing access to historical fair catalogues, monographs, and materials focused on women artists, photography, and Futurism.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Centro Ceco di MilanominorOthersSupported the exhibition Architectures of Life by Jitka Hanzlová at Galleria Raffaella Cortese in 2021.
• Fanta-MLNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fanta-MLN for the Noah Barker exhibition Lux Principum in Albisola (2023), marking the gallery's engagement with younger generation artists and galleries.
• MATTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with MATTA for the exhibition Water Falls Once by Eloise Hess at Albisola space (2026).
• Gian Marco Casini GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Gian Marco Casini Gallery for the presentation of Exposure Value by Clarissa Baldassarri in Albisola (2024).
• David Kordansky GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam E. Jones Survey exhibition held at David Kordansky Gallery, New York (2022), representing gallery artist in international context.
• TriangolominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Triangolo, Cremona for Nicole Colombo's residency and ceramic production project Rosario at Albisola (2026).
• ANGAMCcoreOthersMember of Italian gallery association ANGAMC since its foundation, connecting the gallery's presence in the Italian scene with a broader international perspective.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pace Gallery: Global blue-chip gallery with deep photography, installation, and time-based media programs. Competes for the same institutional collectors and museum placements at top-tier art fairs.
• Hauser & Wirth: Global mega-gallery with locations worldwide including major representation of women artists (e.g., Louise Bourgeois, Lorna Simpson). A broader incumbent that overlaps in artist genres and collector base but operates at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Galleria Tega: Milan-based contemporary art gallery with a similar profile of represented artists and participation in Italian art fairs such as Miart and Artefiera. Comparable niche positioning in the Italian market.
• Galleria Lia Rumma: Long-established Italian contemporary art gallery with spaces in Milan and Naples, representing international artists and participating in major art fairs. Comparable scale and positioning within the Italian gallery ecosystem.
• David Kordansky Gallery: Los Angeles-based contemporary art gallery with international program in photography and time-based media—an existing partner of Galleria Raffaella Cortese and a direct competitor for collectors of similar artists.
• ZERO...\u2009Gallery: Milan-based contemporary art gallery representing international artists, with comparable fair participation and artist rosters focused on contemporary practices.
• Galleria Massimo De Carlo: Founded Milan-based contemporary art gallery with multiple international spaces (Milan, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Beijing). Directly comparable as a peer Italian gallery exhibiting international artists across installation, photography, and time-based media at major art fairs.
• Galleria Franco Noero: Turin-based contemporary art gallery with a comparable international roster and historic presence in Italian contemporary art. Similar size and fair circuit participation.
• Giò Marconi Gallery: Long-established Milan contemporary art gallery founded in 1990, representing a mix of established and mid-career Italian and international artists. Direct competitor in the Milan gallery scene.
• kaufmann repetto: Milan- and New York-based contemporary art gallery representing a similar profile of international artists, with comparable participation in major art fairs and a focus on photography, video, and installation. Direct competitor for collector relationships and artists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/galleriaraffaellacortese
• Instagraminstagram.com/galleriaraffaellacortese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/galleria-raffaella-cortese

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Galleria Raffaella Cortese