From Friday, November 1, to Sunday, November 3, 2024, Turin’s Oval will host the 31st edition of Artissima, Italy’s premier contemporary art fair, with seven specialized sections. Alongside the four main categories – Main Section, New Entries, Monologue/Dialogue, and Art Spaces & Editions – the fair presents three curated sections: Present Future, Back to the Future, and Disegni.
This year, Artissima features a record 189 Italian and international galleries, including 66 solo projects, an increase of eight galleries over last year. All participating galleries are also accessible on the digital platform Artissima Voice Over.
The expanded international representation promises an inspiring mix of cross-generational artistic practices. “I’m thrilled to say that the fair attracts numerous artists who see it as essential for staying current and fostering exchanges,” Artissima’s artistic director, Luigi Fassi, tells Domus.
This year’s theme: daydreaming
Artissima’s appeal is not only due to its artistic and commercial quality but also to its commitment to exploring the social significance of contemporary art, often directly addressing the issues of our time. This year’s theme, The Era of Daydreaming, captures the currents shaping today’s art scene. Fassi elaborates: “The title draws attention to recent research on daydreaming, notably from Oxford University. Daydreaming is a universal experience – a mental space where the mind creates inner dialogue and weaves personal stories through evolving visual thought.”
This merging of science and humanities highlights the mind’s potential to imagine alternative realities. “Daydreaming,” Fassi continues, “is crucial for artistic production, allowing artists to transcend the boundaries of the known and explore uncharted worlds.”
Daydreaming is a universal experience – a mental space where the mind creates inner dialogue and weaves personal stories through evolving visual thought.
Luigi Fassi
This year’s notable partnerships include Intesa Sanpaolo as the main partner and Juventus, which continues its tradition with the Artissima Junior stand, presenting a project by Sara Enrico aimed at young audiences. Other collaborations include Jaguar, showcasing Daydreaming with Words by Jaguar, as well as long-standing partners Una Esperienze and illycaffè, the latter supporting artists with the illy Present Future Prize, whose 2023 winner, Bekhbaatar Enkhtur, will be exhibited at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.
Art between museums and former zoos
According to Fassi, one of Artissima’s distinctive qualities is its capacity to “think like an institution.” He explains, “Artissima has developed a dual identity: as a globally recognized commercial fair with curatorial reach and as a cultural organization that collaborates with artists on exhibitions, productions, and ideas.” Reflecting this spirit, Artissima 2024 strengthens its ties to Turin’s historic backdrop. For the first time, the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences will host contemporary art, featuring Objects in Mirror Might Be Closer Than They Appear, a video installation by Julian Charrière and Julius von Bismarck. Another highlight is Andro Eradze’s video installation, set within the former giraffe and elephant house at the old Turin Zoo in Michelotti Park, on the Po riverbank
Artissima’s return to this site “underscores pressing issues like the evolving relationship between humans and animals, the legacy of zoological colonialism, and the need to foster empathy for the natural world,” Fassi concludes.
Also coinciding with Art Week are major cultural events in Turin, including the Club To Club music festival and the ATP Finals.