Artissima 2015. International Fair of Contemporary Art

In 2015, Artissima, the International Fair of Contemporary Art, in Turin, opens its 22nd edition to the public.
Directed for the fourth time by Sarah Cosulich Canarutto, it features 207 galleries from 31 countries the world over. 
Since its establishment in 1994, Artissima has combined presence in the international market with careful attention to experimentation, research and the curatorial framework of its choices and proposals. Three of the fair’s six sections are helmed by boards composed of curators and museum directors from all over the world. The formats of these special sections – with a focus spanning performance art to the rediscovery of the avant-garde – have become standards in the international art fair scene.  Its precise identity ensures Artissima’s impact is felt beyond its venue, the Oval glass pavilion, and reverberates throughout the entire city of Torino. In the words of Le Monde, during Artissima ‘the city transforms into a giant happening’, drawing in a very high-profile public with exhibitions and special events in its museums and foundations, and the network of food and wine culture for which the city is famous. 
The fair is organised by Artissima srl, a company owned by the Fondazione Torino Musei.   
What's new in 2015

Opium Den, a fully fledged curatorial project turning the VIP Lounge into an eclectic and sumptuous space; a visual essay on collecting and the border between art object and decoration. 

Ypsilon St’Art Percorsi in Fiera, a free programme of themed visits through the fair, conceived in parallel with the Walkie Talkies and Zonarte workshops, to consolidate Artissima’s commitment to attracting the general public to contemporary art. 

Art Advisory, UniCredit Art Advisory, a free, independent art advisory service within the fair – the first of its kind in Italy – conceived to encourage and assist new Italian collectors.   
In Mostra, a special exhibition project within Artissima. Created to provide a showcase for the contemporary art collections and artistic institutions of Piedmont, in 2015 In Mostra is reinvented as an independent project, spanning 700 square metres of exhibition space at the fair. 

The sections

Three of Artissima’s six sections are selected by a committee of international galleries participating in the fair. New Entries is a section reserved for the most interesting young galleries on the international scene, active for less than five years and attending Artissima for the first time. The section hosts 24 galleries, of which 21 are foreign. Art Editions, inaugurated in 2012, hosts publications, prints and multiples by contemporary artists from seven galleries.    An international jury awards the Promos Scalo Milano New Entries Prize of €5,000 to the gallery deemed most deserving in seeking out and promoting the young artists in this section. One artist from the winning gallery will be commissioned to make a site specific installation in Scalo Milano’s exhibition space, currently under construction within the Piazze d’Artista project, which combines retail and art for the first time in Italy. 

The Reda Prize is a new international award open to artists under 35 who are exhibiting at Artissima. It is inaugerated this year with the aim of supporting a new generation of artists who work with photography. The winner is given the opportunity to realise a publication with a major international publisher. 

The Fondazione Ettore Fico Prize is awarded to an artist chosen from all of those participating in Artissima. Established in 2009 by Fondazione Ettore Fico to promote the work of young practitioners, it supports the creation of a publication or exhibition by the winner.    Present Future

Present Future is the section of Artissima dedicated to emerging talent, selected by a board of young international curators. Artists are presented by the galleries in a central area of the fair, in a specifically designed exhibition. Works by the selected artists include new proposals created ad hoc and projects displayed for the first time in a European and Italian context.  In 2015 Present Future presents projects by 20 artists presented by 19 foreign galleries and one Italian gallery. 

The illy Present Future Prize, supported by illycaffè since 2001, is awarded to an artist whose work is considered the most interesting, by an international jury. Since 2012, Artissima and Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea have offered the winner the exceptional opportunity of presenting a solo exhibition at the museum. The exhibition coincides with the subsequent edition of the fair. 
Thanks to illycaffè’s receptiveness and the active collaboration with Castello di Rivoli, the illy Present Future Prize gives significant support to emerging artists, and confirms the innovative role of the museum as an artistic institution of international repute. 
This year the exhibition features the work of Rachel Rose, winner of the 14th edition of the illy Present Future Prize.    Back to the Future

Back to the Future is the section of Artissima dedicated to the rediscovery of historic artworks, featuring solo exhibitions by great pioneers of contemporary art. Created with a focus on the 1960s, 70s and 80s, in 2015 for the first time it is concentrating on the decade 1975–85. 
The section, now in its sixth year, aims to highlight international artists who played a key role in the history of art and whose work has influenced contemporary practice. Back to the Future offers the public at large a unique opportunity to view significant works from those years in dialogue with contemporary experimentation.  In 2015, 25 artists participate in Back to the Future, presented by 28 galleries (8 Italian, 20 from abroad). 

During Artissima, an international jury awards the Sardi per l’Arte Back to the Future Prize, run in partnership with Fondazione Sardi per l’Arte and at a value of €5,000, to the gallery with the most deserving project in terms of historical relevance and booth presentation.   
Per4m

Launched by Artissima in 2014, Per4m is the first ever section on the international art fair scene devoted exclusively to performance art. It is both an artistic and commercial showcase, in which performance art is considered as a medium alongside the others presented in the fair, taking full advantage of the framework dedicated to it. 
The 2015 edition of Per4m hosts works by 12 artists represented by 13 galleries (four Italian, nine foreign), and presented on a dedicated stage within the fair and in shared locations throughout the Oval. 

Per4m is accompanied by the Prix K-Way Per4m of €10,000, which will be given to the most significant artwork presented in the section. The award reflects not only the importance of Per4m, but also the special attention paid to this form of experimentation by our partner K-Way.         

Vai alla guida d'arte di Turin