The MonteNapoleone District launches “The Luxury Icons” Exhibition this February 8, a cultural show running through February 22 as part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympics program. The Show occupies Via MonteNapoleone with two installations: Memory Bricks, an urban furniture display featuring photographs by Chinese artist Chen Man, and Made in MonteNapoleone, a glass pavilion dedicated to Italian craftsmanship. The initiative marks the tenth anniversary of the twinning between the MonteNapoleone District and Shanghai’s Jing’an District.
Rihanna, Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, and Benedict Cumberbatch appear in Chen Man’s photographic series for Memory Bricks. The artist, whose work hangs in the Victoria and Albert Museum and who has photographed Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, explores memory as a foundation of identity and the values upon which fashion is built. Her portraits straddle abstraction and documentation, recollection and definition.
Memory Bricks and Made in MonteNapoleone
Memory Bricks transforms the entrance of Via MonteNapoleone into a public installation. Eight large‑format portraits appear on modular urban furniture, creating a meeting point where Milan ideally engages with Shanghai. Partners include Giuseppe Zanotti, Larusmiani, Rodo, and Santoni.
Made in MonteNapoleone occupies a glass bowl designed as a space for cultural exchange. Artisans, companies, and international partners demonstrate their craft through live performances and workshops. Participants include Hover Air, Molteni, Pernici 1892, Barbara Ricchi, Rodo, Alma, La scuola di cucina italiana, Domus, and NABA. The installation highlights the creative process behind Italian-made products and the human value of well-crafted objects.
The MonteNapoleone District today unites more than 140 global luxury brands across Via MonteNapoleone, Sant’Andrea, Verri, Santo Spirito, Gesù, Borgospesso, San Pietro all’Orto, Bagutta, and Corso Matteotti. Membership once required a physical store within the district’s borders. That requirement has expanded. Cipriani joined the association last year despite operating outside the Quadrilatero, admitted because it embodies the district’s values.
