Meets collectors, art advisors, and artistsArt loversIn Turin for the weekend-long Artissima art fair each year, what began in 1994 as a minimalist art fair has morphed into a showcase for Turin's dynamic contemporary art scene with Artissima as a gateway.
A wonderful tour for art lovers in Turin
Catalyst for experiments, research and investment inart marketis how Artissima director Luigi Fassi describes the four-day gathering of stars of the art scene meeting over a plate of Tajarin al tartufo and a glass of Barolo.
Besides showcasing big-name galleries, Artissima focuses on introducing smaller, next-generation galleries, galleries and artists - both Italian and international - to the global art scene. Besides the exhibitors (in 2022, there were 174, from 28 countries), there are curated sections - such as Present and Future for artists under 40 - and Art Awards. It's basically the best and one of the biggest tech gigs ever.
A visit to Artissima is a lifetime, as you can energetically spend the morning touringSkating rinkRapid Oval Lingotto, re-used for 2006 Olympic purposes, to visit all the exhibitors. Afternoons and evenings of openings and events at galleries, museums and private homes across the city. But art-seeking visitors don't have to wait until November to explore the art scene in Piedmont's capital.
Your guide to arts and culture in Turin, Italy
The birthplace of the Arte Povera movement in the 1960s with hometown artists such as Giuseppe Pennone and Mario Merz, Turin is home to some of Italy's leading collectors, galleries, museums and innovative institutions. There is always an exhibition to see and a great space to experiment. Founded by Beatrice Merz as an archive of the work of her parents duo Mario and Marisa, Fondazione Merz has taken over a 1930s-era heartwarming station with exhibitions by contemporary artists like Alfredo Jarre, Kara Walker, and Michal Rovner.
And FSSR expanded in the following decades. Together with individual and group shows such as Lawrence Abu Hamdan's Air Compression, the Foundation is a platform for artistic awards (including association with Artissima), collaborations, and educational projects. FSSR also has an Insta Art Garden (with site-specific work by Carsten Höller, Paul Kneale, Marguerite Humeau, and more) in Guarene, an hours drive southeast of the city.
