by Redazione 28/10/2026
Categories: Events / Disclaimer
From October 30 to November 1, 2026, the Oval Torino will host the 33rd edition of Artissima, featuring seven sections, 66 solo projects, and a program of awards and acquisitions. The theme “Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body” invites visitors to imagine new ways of navigating differences and interpreting the present.
Turin is preparing to once again become one of the leading international hubs for contemporary art. From Friday, October 30, to Sunday, November 1, 2026, theOval Torino venue will host the 33rd edition of Artissima, the only Italian art fair entirely dedicated to this sector. The event, which coincides with Luigi Fassi’s fifth year as director, will bring together 183 galleries from 35 countries and four continents, featuring 66 monographic projects and a particular focus on experimentation, new research, and the most innovative artistic languages.
The central theme of the 2026 edition will be “Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body,” a concept that draws on the ideas of philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum and interprets imagination as a faculty capable of reaching beyond what we already know. Through “fancy”—understood as the projection of the imagination toward as-yet-unexplored possibilities—art becomes a flexible and acrobatic language, capable of transcending differences and complexities and bringing us closer to that which is other than ourselves. From this perspective, art is not limited to representing reality but helps us imagine what might exist. It thus assumes a public role, capable of fostering dialogue and enriching the democratic life of the community. The fair itself aims to be a physical and intense experience—an up-close encounter with the works that invites us to rethink the way we observe, inhabit, and share the present.
“How can art act as a crucial form of public intelligence, capable of nourishing and enriching a community’s democratic institutions? The 2026 edition of Artissima answers this question through four days of international dialogue, cultural diplomacy, and thematic discussions, all viewed through the lens of the work of galleries, artists, and collectors within a global context,” states Director Luigi Fassi. “The art market made possible by Artissima takes shape this year as a gathering of galleries, collectors, and curators converging in Turin to seek out in Italy the traces of artistic innovation for the near future, as well as inspiration and ideals to navigate the present in an uncomfortable and ever-changing world. Artissima thus reaffirms its role as a cultural institution, serving all professionals and enthusiasts to create economic value and contribute to the development of cultural policies. As suggested by the theme, inspired by the research of philosopher Martha Nussbaum, this year Artissima explores the forward-looking power of the imagination—or “fancy,” as it is known in English—which, through its acrobatic force, takes us beyond the limits of our individuality and everyday life, allowing us to poetically navigate complexity and differences to draw closer to the plurality of those who are different from us. Artistic imagination—the result of the inexhaustible creative force of individual experience—is a powerful tool for life and action, capable of offering us guidance and awareness even in our unprecedented encounter with artificial intelligence. The local context is the backdrop for all our lives and activities, and Artissima is deeply rooted in Turin and Italy. Its mission is to connect the city with the world, setting the pace for an autumn that, year after year, is increasingly shaped by contemporary art culture. The institutional collaborations established for this edition amplify Artissima’s energy, building a shared cultural landscape in which the fair becomes the focal point of a city that continues to identify with contemporary art and to recognize in it one of its most vital forms of expression.”
183 galleries from 35 countries and four continents
Artissima’s international scope remains one of its defining features. The 183 participating galleries come from a broad geographic spectrum, spanning Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa. Represented, among others, are Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, South Korea, Cuba, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Africa, Taiwan, and Uruguay.
The presence of Asian galleries is particularly significant, including A+ Works of Art from Kuala Lumpur, IAH and Vohm from Seoul, Maki Fine Arts and Side 2 from Tokyo, Rossi & Rossi from Hong Kong, ss space space from Taipei, and Vanguard from Shanghai. From Central and South America come galleries such as A Gentil Carioca, with locations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Marli Matsumoto, Luisa Strina, VERVE, and Yehudi Hollander-Pappi from São Paulo, Piero Atchugarry from Miami, and Pueblo Garzón and Banda Municipal from Mexico City. African participation includes SMAC, RESERVOIR, and WHATIFTHEWORLD, all based in Cape Town, while from the United States, among others, 1301PE from Los Angeles, Andrew Reed from Miami, and dieFirma and Management from New York will be present. There will also be a substantial presence of galleries from Eastern Europe and countries such as France, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Switzerland.
There will be 37 galleries making their debut at the fair, alongside numerous established players on the Italian and international scenes. The selection aims to highlight both emerging artists and established figures through original projects and proposals that explore new directions.
The Seven Sections of Artissima 2026
The program is divided into seven sections: four selected by the gallery committee and three curated by a curatorial team. The Main Section brings together 103 galleries representing the international art scene. New Entries, on the other hand, is dedicated to 17 emerging galleries that have been active for less than five years and are participating in the event for the first time. Monologue/Dialogue features 37 galleries that develop monographic projects or juxtapose the works of two artists, while Art Editions brings together galleries specializing in editions and multiples, bookstores, project spaces, and independent nonprofit venues.
For the fourth consecutive year, Artissima also confirms the New Entries Fund, a fund directly sponsored by the fair to provide financial support to three galleries in the section dedicated to emerging galleries.
The three curated sections (Present Future, Back to the Future, and Disegni) focus instead on monographic projects and in-depth explorations that span generations, artistic languages, and different moments in the history of contemporary art.
Present Future: A Platform for Emerging Talent
For twenty-six years, Present Future has been the section through which Artissima identifies and showcases new voices on the international art scene. The 2026 edition is curated for the third consecutive year by Léon Kruijswijk, Performance Curator at Mudam – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg, and by Joel Valabrega, an independent curator based in Porto and Milan.
The exhibition brings together ten artists presented by ten galleries, nine of which are international. The works include new projects created specifically for the fair or being presented for the first time in Italy or Europe. Once again this year, one of the selected artists will receive the illy Present Future Award, sponsored by illycaffè since 2001 and now in its 26th edition.
“This year, Present Future features artists whose practices are shaped by an experimental approach to materials, techniques, and technologies,” explain curators Léon Kruijswijk and Joel Valabrega. “Technology is interpreted here in its broadest sense, encompassing craft traditions, industrial processes, and both analog and digital tools. Through sculpture, installation, video, performance, and sound, the artists address issues related to labor, identity, and coexistence, revealing how the creative act is capable of shaping both the world we inhabit and our understanding of it.”
Back to the Future: Rediscovering the Pioneers of Contemporary Art
While “Present Future” looks to the most recent developments, “Back to the Future” focuses on artists who have made decisive contributions to the history of contemporary art. The section features monographic projects dedicated to pioneering figures whose work has broken new ground and influenced subsequent generations.
For the third consecutive year, curation is entrusted to Heike Munder, director of the F+F Art and Design School in Zurich and honorary director of the Simose Art Museum in Otake, Hiroshima, alongside Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, an independent curator based in São Paulo. In 2026, the program features ten artists, presented by nine international galleries and three Italian galleries.
“Back to the Future 2026 presents monographic projects by pioneers of contemporary art who, at different times and in different places between the 1930s and the 1990s, had the courage to stand up against what they believed to be wrong. Artists are often the voice of society, and their works channel not only anger and frustration but also dreams, aspirations, and hopes that are fundamental to life,” state curators Heike Munder and Jacopo Crivelli Visconti.
Drawings: Ten Artists to Highlight Works on Paper
Now in its tenth edition, “Disegni” is the only section of an Italian art fair entirely dedicated to this medium. The project, curated for the fifth year by Irina Zucca Alessandrelli, curator of the Ramo Collection in Milan and of Milan Drawing Week, features ten artists represented by ten galleries, four of which are Italian.
Conceived as a series of solo exhibitions, the section focuses on the autonomy and authenticityof works on paper, highlighting the immediacy of drawing and its ability to condense ideas, intuitions, and experiments. The goal is to highlight the expressive richness of a medium that remains little known and underappreciated, in line with Artissima’s mission to identify innovative avenues of exploration and anticipate new trends.
“Disegni is the only section at Italian art fairs dedicated to this medium. It presents projects conceived as solo exhibitions that highlight the authenticity and autonomy of works on paper,” explains curator Irina Zucca Alessandrelli. “The section promotes the uniqueness of drawing and its innate immediacy—as the artist’s first translation of an idea into the world and as the sole, unfiltered access to their creative process. The term ‘drawing’ encompasses the most original and varied techniques on paper. The works reflect political, social, and psychological themes of pressing relevance.”
Support for Acquisitions and Public Collections
In 2026, Artissima is once again renewing its collaboration with Fondazione Arte CRT, which is confirming its 300,000-euro Acquisition Fund earmarked for the collections of the GAM—Turin’s Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art— and the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art. The works will be selected by the Foundation’s Scientific Committee in collaboration with the directors and curators of the two museums. The initiative helps enrich the public cultural heritage and strengthen the role of Piedmontese institutions in promoting and disseminating contemporary art to a broad, local, and international audience.
Twelve Awards for Artists and Galleries
The awards program includes twelve prizes organized in collaboration with companies, foundations, and cultural institutions. Among the new additions are the Seletti Wonder Award, now in its first edition, and the Archivorum Unwritten Award, also new to the 2026 program. Returning are the illy Present Future Award, which has been awarded since 2001, and the Orlane Prize for Art, now in its third edition. Support for artists and galleries also comes through the Diana Bracco – Imprenditrici ad Arte Award, the Oelle – Mediterraneo Antico Award, the Pista 500 Award, the “ad occhi chiusi...” award, andthe Artissima New Entries Fund, dedicated to emerging galleries.
Three awards, on the other hand, result in the acquisition of works by the sponsoring organizations: the Tosetti Value Prize for photography, active since 2020; the Matteo Viglietta Award, sponsored by the La Gaia Collection since 2022; and the Ettore and Ines Fico Prize, established by the MEF Ettore Fico Museum in Turin in 2010.
Complementing this system is The Curators’ Choice, an initiative supported by Fondazione Arte CRT. A select group of international curators will be guided through a series of visits and meetings with galleries and key players in Turin’s art scene. At the end of the fair, each curator will highlight a gallery discovered during the event and deemed particularly significant through a critical review.
A New Visual Identity to Envision the Future
For the ninth consecutive year, Artissima is collaborating with the Turin-based graphic design studio FIONDA, which has been commissioned to visually interpret this year’s theme. In the 2026 project, the fair’s historic logos—which have evolved over time into parentheses—become elements of a dynamic and constantly evolving system. The shapes bend and multiply, giving rise to unpredictable trajectories that evoke openness, change, and possibility. The visual identity thus reinterprets the history of the event to project it toward new imaginaries, in harmony with the idea of art capable of transcending boundaries and perceptual habits.
With 183 galleries, seven sections, twelve awards, and a comprehensive acquisition program, Artissima 2026 reaffirms its experimental and international character. The theme “Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body” serves as the key to interpreting a fair that does not merely present works but proposes imagination as a tool for questioning the present and opening our eyes to scenarios yet to be explored.
Artissima is a brand of the City of Turin, the Piedmont Region, and the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is affiliated with Fondazione Torino Musei and receives support from Fondazione CRT, Fondazione Arte CRT, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, and the Turin Chamber of Commerce. Main partner: Intesa Sanpaolo
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| Artissima 2026, 183 galleries from 35 countries: the contemporary art fair explores the acrobatics of the imagination |
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