Artissima previews tomorrow for its 23rd edition in Turin. Unusually for a fair that has been in existence for a longish time (in art fair terms of course), Artissima has kept an innovative approach, with strong curation and experimentation—a tough feat when bringing 193 international galleries into one coherent space.
Outsiders coming into the city might experience their first twinges of Artissima fever at the airport, German artist Thomas Bayrle has created a site-specific installation in the baggage area for Flying Home. Bayrle’s use of repetition has had him aligned with the Pop movement since the 60s, and considered an early user of digital language—before there even was such a thing. The piece will consider the intersection that the airport provides on a daily basis for technology, space and beings to meet, merge and, in most cases, split off again.
Within the walls of the fair itself, there is a new section called Dialogue which will explore presentations with no more than three artists, that exist as single projects. The section mirrors the overall approach of Artissima, keeping the vibe away from spaces that feel too sales-led, focusing first and foremost on concept and curation.
The wonderfully named Dutch Art Collective If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution take the helm of the three-year old PER4M section—at its time of launch being the first of its kind at an international fair. The programme includes London’s VITRINE with Tim Etchells, and Barbara Seiler with French-born Egyptian artist Dina Danish.
PRESENT FUTURE focusses on new and upcoming artists—rather than purely on individual galleries, which is often the case in the younger sections of fairs—with a total of 20 displayed. Dynamic New York duo Body by Body will show with LA’s Chateau Shatto, the pair have a diverse practice which includes installation, performance, special effects and work on paper, and Amsterdam’s Akinci will show the work of Russian artist Gluklya (Natalia Pershina-Yakimanskaya), whose works often use found clothing as a bridge between contemporary art and the everyday.
Alongside this, the main area of the fair will host 105 international galleries, New Entries will return with 18 emerging galleries, Art Editions will sell limited editions and prints, and Back to the Future will focus on works produced between 1970 and 1989 (when all the best people were born), by some of the “great pioneers of contemporary art.”
‘Artissima’ runs from 4-6 November. artissima.it
