The Italian city of Turin annually hosts the "Artissima" contemporary art exhibition, an international specialized event that brings together galleries, artists, exhibition organizers, and art selection specialists, alongside representatives from museums and cultural institutions. In its 2026 edition, 183 galleries from various countries are participating, including 40 galleries taking part for the first time.
According to an article published by the French newspaper "Le Monde" by journalist Harry Bellet on October 30, the exhibition attracts the attention of museum curators, cultural institution directors, art curators, and art collectors. Chris Dercon, director of the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris, stated that the exhibition sees a significant presence of museum curators and cultural institution directors, noting that their number appears larger than that of art collectors.
Dercon is participating as part of a group comprising 18 art curators, invited by various institutions in Turin to visit the exhibition and select one of its artistic pavilions, then present their choices and defend them before a jury. This initiative is funded by the Italian non-profit organization "Arti e Cultura" (ARTI), dedicated to supporting and acquiring contemporary art. On her part, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, president of the "ARTI" Foundation, clarified that the foundation was established in 2000 at the initiative of the Turin Savings Bank, with the aim of supporting contemporary art and acquiring its works.
She added that the foundation's art collection comprises approximately one thousand works, a large number of which belong to the "Arte Povera" (Poor Art) movement, an Italian artistic trend that emerged in the 1960s and relies on the use of simple, everyday materials to create artworks. The collection's holdings are available in prominent artistic institutions in the city, including the Rivoli Castle and the Museum of Modern Art, while the budget allocated for acquiring artworks for this year's exhibition amounts to 300,000 euros.
These initiatives reflect one aspect of the exhibition's role in connecting galleries with cultural institutions and museums, as its presence extends beyond displaying artworks to supporting their acquisition and inclusion in art collections that offer the public the opportunity to view them.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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