Artissima 2026

Artissima is Italy's leading fair for contemporary art and one of the most research-driven art fairs in Europe. Its 33rd edition takes place at the Oval Lingotto in Turin from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, with an invitation-only preview on 29 October. 183 Italian and international galleries take part, including 66 solo projects, and the fair's curated sections give unusual space to emerging artists and to drawing.

The 2026 theme is "Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body", inspired by the philosopher Martha Nussbaum's idea of fancy as a principle of movement and openness. It is the fifth edition directed by Luigi Fassi.

About Artissima

Founded in 1994, Artissima has built a reputation as the fair where collectors, curators and critics go to discover artists before they reach the big international fairs. It is owned by public institutions in Turin and Piedmont, which gives it a strong cultural mission alongside the market. The Oval, the former Olympic speed-skating arena next to the historic Lingotto factory, hosts the whole fair under one roof.

Every autumn Artissima opens Turin's contemporary art week, when museums, foundations and independent spaces across the city hold openings at the same time. The main partner is Intesa Sanpaolo, whose Turin museum, Gallerie d'Italia, works with the fair for the seventh year.

What to Expect

• Main Section: the core of the fair, with established and mid-career galleries
• New Entries: young galleries taking part for the first time
• Monologue/Dialogue: booths with one artist, or two artists in conversation
• Art Editions: prints, multiples and editions, often at accessible prices
• Present Future: a curated section for emerging artists, selected by international curators
• Back to the Future: rediscovered artists and historical works from recent decades
• Disegni: a whole section devoted to drawing, rare among art fairs

2026 Programme

The fair is open to the public from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Alongside the booths, Artissima presents talks, prizes for artists in the curated sections and collaborations with Turin's museums and foundations. The list of galleries, the floor plan and the talks programme are published on the official website.

Who Is It For?

• Artists and art students who want to see emerging work from across Europe
• Illustrators and draughtspeople, for whom the Disegni section is a highlight
• First-time collectors, especially in Art Editions and New Entries
• Curators and critics looking for new names
• Visitors to Turin during the contemporary art week

Tickets

Tickets are sold on the official Artissima website and at the entrance. The preview on 29 October is by invitation only. Check the website for current prices, reduced tickets for students and young visitors, and guided tours.

Tips for Artists and Students

For artists, the curated sections are the most useful part of the fair. Present Future shows the kind of practice that international curators are watching, and Back to the Future is a reminder that careers are long and that work can be rediscovered decades later. Spend time in Disegni if you draw: it shows how galleries present works on paper, how they frame and hang them, and what drawings sell for.

Art Editions is a good place to start a collection with a small budget, and to see how artists use prints and multiples to reach a wider audience. Gallery staff are generally happy to talk about the artists on their stands when they are not busy.

Plan an extra day for the city. During the art week, many of Turin's museums, foundations and independent spaces stay open late, and several other fairs and festivals run at the same time, so a weekend in Turin can cover a wide range of contemporary art.

Planning Your Visit

Start with the floor plan, published on the website shortly before the fair, and mark the curated sections and any galleries you already follow. The Oval is a single open hall, so it is easy to move between sections, but the fair rewards a slow visit: give yourself time to sit, read the wall texts and talk to gallerists. If you are interested in prints and editions, visit Art Editions early, as popular pieces sell quickly. Sunday afternoon tends to be calmer, though some works will already be sold.

Things to Know

• Getting there: the Oval Lingotto is in the south of Turin; metro line 1 stops at Lingotto, a short walk away.
• From further away: Turin Porta Nuova and Porta Susa stations have fast trains from Milan (about one hour).
• Time: the fair is compact enough to see in one long day, but the curated sections deserve a slow visit.
• Food: the Lingotto area has restaurants and the Eataly flagship next door.
• Weather: Turin in early November is cool and often foggy; bring a coat.

Attend Artissima 2026

Planning a visit?

Visit Artissima

The gallery list, floor plan, talks and tickets are on the official Artissima website.

Looking for more to see? Browse all events, festivals and exhibitions on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 19, 2026