International Fair of Contemporary Art
Turin
Artissima has just celebrated its 21st anniversary with the most surprising and successful edition of the fair so far:
194 participating galleries from 34 countries
one new section (Per4m)
five prizes awarded to artists and galleries with a total of 45.000 euros
over 50,000 visitors
30% more Italian and foreign collectors than 2013
55 curators directly involved in the fair’s programme.
New project
One of several new features for which Artissima has stood out this year was the introduction of Per4m, the spectacular new section dedicated to performance art, and an addition to the four traditional sections of the fair (Main Section, New Entries, Back to the Future and Present Future). Per4m has given further impetus to the already highly experimental nature of a fair that promotes discovery, research and curatorial involvement and offers daring displays, avant-garde monographic booths and a strong focus on emerging talent.
Highlights and prizes
Back to the Future featured monographic booths by artists active in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s who have played an important role in the history of contemporary art but who have not always received the visibility they deserve with the general public. This year, from the 25 artists and galleries selected by a prestigious curatorial committee, the Sardi per l’Arte Back to the Future Prize of 5,000 euro was awarded by the jury to François Ghebaly gallery, Los Angeles, which presented the work of artist Channa Horwitz (Los Angeles, 1932–2013).
Present Future comprised 20 solo booths featuring the work of young artists selected by an international committee. The section reflected with quality and depth the unpredictability and critical urgency in addressing the present. The 10,000 euro illy Present Future Prize was awarded to Rachel Rose (b. 1986, New York), presented by High Art gallery, Paris. The prize offers the opportunity to the winner to exhibit in the prestigious venue of the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art, during the 2015 edition of Artissima.
New entries, a special reference point for new creativity, was reserved to the most interesting up-and-coming galleries active for less than five years. The 5,000 euro Guido Carbone New Entries Prize 2014 was awarded to : Baril gallery, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, that distinguished itself for its highly original and dynamic booth and for the uniqueness, courage and ambition of the work on show.
Per4m, the new section debuting at Artissima 2014, has been unique both in terms of presentation and approach to performance art in the context of a fair. Per4m represents a fully fledged section, an artistic and commercial showcase in which performance is considered on par with other expressions. The 16 works selected for Per4m by a committee of curators touched on the extreme opposites of what performance art can be today: image and narration, physical action and the triumph of visibility and disappearance. The 10,000 euro Prix K-Way Per4m was awarded to the performance Nautilus (2013) by Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet represented by Marcelle Alix Gallery, Paris.
Acquisitions
Most of the participating galleries reported a remarkable presence of collectors, unprecedented sales, a very engaging and lively atmosphere and exceptional opportunities for new contacts with curators and other professionals, all of whom proclaimed that Artissima has exceeded their expectations.
Particular consideration was given to the acquisitions of the contemporary art museums and foundations of the region. The Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT bought artworks for the collections of the Castello di Rivoli and GAM for an approximate value of 360,000 euros. Furthemore, the Fondazione Ettore Fico acquired important works for its new museum in Torino and assigned a prize of 15,000 euros to French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar, presented by Emanuel Layr gallery, Vienna.
Collectors and the city of Torino
Artissima organises one of the most remarkable and extensive VIP programmes on the contemporary art fair scene, with a staggering programme of visits and special tours to collections, major contemporary art museums and foundations. Torino, city of elegance and sophistication, offers a unique experience, with its important art venues, high cuisine and lavish cafe culture.
The presence of new collectors this year has been unprecedented and is a sign of Artissima’s ever-increasing quality and originality: coming from Brasil, the United States, Taiwan, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Great Britain among others, all the collectors for their first time in town were positively surprised by such a fervid context.
One Torino: SHIT AND DIE
This year, the special One Torino project is the astounding exhibition SHIT AND DIE produced entirely by Artissima, curated by Maurizio Cattelan, Myriam Ben Salah and Marta Papini, and held in the historic Palazzo Cavour.
The exhibition, featuring more than 50 international artists, takes Torino as its primary source of inspiration and is a universal reflection on life and the ambiguities of the human condition, from death to the body, from utopia to failure. SHIT AND DIE lies on a narrative thread drawn by a series of objects that the curators have sourced from a selection of unconventional institutions and collections in the city. SHIT AND DIE is conceived as a highly subjective, obsessive and irrationally non-exhaustive composition in which different stories, objects and artworks incorporate into one consistent narrative that visitors can read as a whole tale.
SHIT AND DIE has received an instantly positive response from critics and public alike, welcoming over 12,000 visitors in less than two weeks. The exhibition runs until Sunday 11 January 2015.
“Each year Artissima reinvents itself by experimenting with new formulas and unprecedented initiatives while keeping its innovative and research-based identity. We are grateful to all the galleries, artists, collectors, curators and public who have brought Artissima and Torino especially alive this year.”
–Sarah Cosulich Canarutto, Director, Artissima
Artissima is a brand of Regione Piemonte, Provincia di Torino and Città di Torino. On behalf of these three authorities, it is promoted by Fondazione Torino Musei, established by the Municipality of Torino to support, manage and enhance the artistic and museum-based heritage of the city. The 21st Artissima was held with the support of the three brand-owning authorities, jointly with Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, Compagnia di San Paolo and Camera di commercio di Torino.
Additional support to the fair:
Main partner: UniCredit
Partner: illycaffè, K-Way, Lancia, Lauretana, Nital
In-kind sponsor: Artsy, CarloAngela, Centrale del Latte di Torino, GL Events Italia – Lingotto, Le Fablier, Odilla Chocolat, Sagat, Salp, Tisettanta
Official carrier: Gondrand
Media partner: La Stampa, Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue
Media coverage: Sky Arte HD
Additional support to One Torino:
Partners: GTT, Iren, SMAT, Onassis Foundation
In-kind sponsor: Axa Art
Official carrier: Gondrand
Media partner: La Stampa
Media coverage: Sky Arte HD
