Having archived the 2025 edition of Artissima, the 32nd edition of the now historic contemporary art fair in Turin, it is time to take stock: how did the sales go, also taking into account the fact that Artissima 2025 is the first contemporary art fair after the introduction of thereduced 5% VAT on artworks? The opinions seem to be all in all positive, starting with those of the organization, which, as usual, at the end of the event immediately transmits the figures: 34,500 visitors along the four days of the fair’s opening , with the first one reserved for professionals and the others for the public, who crowded the stands of the 176 galleries, from 36 countries spread over 5 continents, and then again more than 700 national and international collectors and curators who participated and many satisfied gallery owners.
“Artissima,” reiterated director Luigi Fassi, “was the first moment of verification for the 5 percent VAT, but above all its litmus test. The new rate turned out to be not only an indispensable tax measure, but a cultural fact, a European news story that redefines the way Italy is positioned in the art system. This measure does not act on the margin, but on the sense: it gives back to our country the possibility to compete on equal terms, and at the same time to propose a model based on quality, awareness and responsibility. Artissima had the privilege and responsibility of putting it to the test, demonstrating how a fair can also be a place of cultural diplomacy, capable of bringing politics, economics and vision into dialogue.”
And the galleries, what do they say? Let’s see. Among the most satisfied is Thomas Brambilla, owner of the gallery of the same name, moreover one of only two of those present at the fair to have seen two works acquired with the Fondazione Arte CRT fund for the GAM in Turin and the Castello di Rivoli, never as high as this year (the Foundation provided 300,000 euros): “We are very satisfied with the outcome of this edition, which was a real success for us,” Brambilla says. "In addition to the acquisition of a historic work from the 1990s by Marco Cingolani by GAM - Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Torino and a Dial-A-Poem work by John Giorno by Castello di Rivoli, we also had an excellent response in terms of sales: five works by Maggi Hambling, with values between 10.000 to 40,000 euros; three photographs by Sam Samore, between 6,000 and 10,000 euros; and three works, by the young Turin-based artist Erik Saglia, between 5,000 and 10,000 euros. Overall, the fair was an important opportunity to meet and dialogue with collectors and institutions, confirming the growing interest in our artists."
Among the gallerists honored was ME Vannucci of Pistoia, which saw Giovanni Termini awarded the Ettore and Ines Fico Prize. But beyond the recognition, good business for the Tuscan gallery as well: sold three works by Roberto Orlando(Instructions for a Mucosal Extraction V edition, Constantine’s Rest, Instructions for a Mucosal Extraction VII edition, and Botanological - Victoria edition) and two by Sandra Tomboloni, in addition to the acquisition of 10 works by Giovanni Termini for the Fico Museum, which will organize an exhibition dedicated to him in 2026. “Beyond the economic aspect of which we are happy with,” the gallery let us know, “the fair seemed to be a good edition with a good level of the galleries present, and we noticed a greater presence of collectors at the fair even compared to past editions.” Great enthusiasm from gallery Studio G7, according to which “Artissima 2025 was an extraordinary edition, on the level of relationships and positioning. It was clear how we choose artists capable of reflecting a vision and a sense of responsibility that we carefully cultivate because Studio is more than Gallery, it is a place where ideas and relationships gain value. We presented Resonances of System, an environmental project built around the concept of double, with works created ad hoc by Jacopo Mazzonelli (with us since 2019) and Anneke Eussen, in her first appearance with the gallery in Italy. The proposal turned out to be a winning one, eliciting an excellent response both on the curatorial and collector level. We met an enthusiastic Italian audience and we report a decidedly growing international presence. Sales were concentrated in a range between 4,000 and 15,000 euros, and we activated projects with curators and collectors, both Italian and foreign. In fact, Jacopo Mazzonelli will present a monographic exhibition in 2026, accompanied by a text by critic Charles Moore, while Anneke Eussen will inaugurate her first solo show at the gallery in 2026, with a text by Rossella Farinotti, on the occasion of the official announcement of her representation with the gallery.”
Positive opinions from one of Italy’s historic galleries, Studio Trisorio, active since 1974 and a regular at Artissima: “The fair ended with excellent results,” they tell us, “we are happy with how it went. Our booth was much appreciated especially for the dialogue between historicized artists like Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer and Rebecca Horn with mid-career artists like Elisabetta di Maggio, Christiane Löhr and Francesco Arena. There was a good atmosphere, very dynamic, with the presence of many foreign collectors. Among the proposed artists, Elisabetta Di Maggio - also present at GAM with a beautiful exhibition - of whom several works were sold, with values ranging from 8,000 to 25,000 euros, attracted particular interest. There was also great success for the light works of Fabrizio Corneli, whose Aphrodite of Capua became part of a Turin collection. Christiane Löhr will go to enrich a Parisian collection, while Umberto Manzo’s works, between 10 and 20,000 euros, were acquired by collectors in Rome and Naples.” Excellent results also for Milan-based Dep Art, as owner Antonio Addamiano confirms: “For us, it was one of the best editions since we have been participating in Artissima,” they let us know. “The large audience appreciated the curatorial choices of the booth. Already closed some sales , of Regine Schumann (8,000 and 9,000 euros) and Imi Knoebel (9,200) and for Wolfram Ullrich’s masterpiece (17,010 euros), requested since the opening by many collectors. Also pleased with the interest in the two white works by Turi Simeti and Pino Pinelli, making their debut on the Artissima circuit, about which we had no previous feedback.”
Satisfactory results for Société Interludio as well: “At the moment we have sold works by Ivan Grilo (one for 7,000,000 + vat and one for 8,000,000 + vat), landscapes and portraits by Enrico Tealdi (between 5,000 and 10,000,000 euros + vat), we have several open negotiations and we have seen a lot of interest in all our artists (Ivan Grilo, Luca Federico Ferrero and Enrico Tealdi). In addition, Artissima did an incredible job with VIP collectors and foreign collectors. For us, the balance was very positive.” Here, on the other hand, is Labs Contemporary’s opinion: “This year’s edition of Artissima was positive for us from the point of view of sales, from the point of view of the fair in general we thought it was a beautiful fair even more than last year. The artists we sold were mainly Marco Emmanuele, with seven works sold between 1,000 and 6,000 euros, and Elvira Amor, with three works sold between 2,500 and 8,000 euros. Public participation in our opinion was important both as the number of visitors and associations and curators.”
Given the opinions of the Italian galleries, let’s see what some of the foreigners think, starting with London-based Pipeline, making its debut in Turin and thus included in the New Entries section: “The works we sold at the fair,” they reveal, “were priced between 2,500 and 9,500 euros. We found that despite some sales, it was worth focusing on conversations with curators and institutions, and the fair was well attended. Artissima seems to be a very high-quality fair, both in terms of the quality of the works on display and the audience.” Interesting sales also for Belgian Meessen, a Brussels-based gallery that had a monographic booth dedicated to the mountaincutters collective: “We sold five works,” they inform us: these are Node-Venus, Embryonic Voltage, Invisible Alliances, Relative Fading of color, space, time, and Accueillir la condition terrestre. “And two potential sales are still in progress. Price range between €5,000 and €8,000. The other two are at 9,000 and 18,000 €. We enjoyed the fair and were satisfied with the response from the public and foreign institutions on the first two days.” Meessen also expresses a criticism, however: “We had few relevant interactions with Italian collectors or institutions. All the works sold go to Switzerland, France or... Belgium. Although the mountaincutters project was quite challenging, we expected more, as we know that Italian collectors are well-informed and do not necessarily seek easy works.”
The Greek gallery Gramma_Epsilon, based in Athens, also let us know that sales mostly interested international clientele. "At Artissima 2025, we sold the following works: Elisabetta Gut’s 1987 Un amore un po’ complicato (from W. Shakespeare’s Juliet and Romeo), Maria Lai’s 1979 Autobiografia , Maria Lai’s 1978 Libro Cucito , Renata Prunas’ 1979 Blu, Alba Savoi’s 1979 Pressione, Franca Sonnino’s 1973 Trame e punti, and Mirella Bentivoglio’s 1983 Libro e uovo.“ The gallery prefers not to disclose sales prices. ”This was our third participation in Artissima and our second in the Main Section,“ Gramma_Epsilon continues. ”Every edition is different, but this year was particularly interesting. We noticed more international collectors than in previous editions, which brought a new and fresh perspective. In fact, some of the works sold are going to a private art foundation in the United States. At the same time, we notice an increase in younger visitors, which is always very exciting."
Miami-based U.S. gallery Piero Atchugarry reports having sold works by Adam Jeppsen, Keita Miyazaki, Chris Soal and Alicia Viebrock. “We celebrated a good gallery edition,” they tell us. Finally, excellent feedback also came from Latvian gallery Alma, which returns to Riga with good impressions: “We sold six works on paper and one on canvas by Margarita Gluzberg, all between £4,000 and £6,000. We sold works to both Italian and European collectors. Overall, the experience was incredibly positive and we were very pleased with the response to Margarita Gluzberg’s work and the quality of the collections that acquired the works.”
The 2025 edition of Artissima basically closes with an overall positive balance, marking a moment of transition and renewed confidence for the contemporary art market in Italy. The response from galleries, both Italian and international, testifies to a lively commercial climate, with many sales closed and a general appreciation for the curatorial quality of the fair.
Alongside the good economic results, Artissima confirms its vocation as a cultural laboratory in which market, institutions and artistic vision dialogue. The growing presence of foreign collectors and young visitors, together with the strengthening of the relationship with museums and foundations, suggests a perspective of further international openness. And Turin reaffirms itself as one of the most dynamic and aware hubs of the European art system.
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
