October 30–November 1, 2026
Italy
Artissima will take place in Torino from October 30 to November 1, 2026 (Preview on October 29), under the direction of Luigi Fassi.
The only Italian fair exclusively focused on contemporary art, Artissima stands out on the international scene for its experimental, cutting-edge, and sophisticated identity, and for its high-quality exhibits.
The 2026 edition of the fair is composed of four flagship sections (Main Section, Monologue/Dialogue, New Entries, Art Editions) and three curated sections (Present Future, Back to the Future and Disegni).
A new theme will symbolically run through the fair: Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body. It derives from an image used by the philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum to explain that the language of art—guided by “fancy”, the forward projection of imagination—has a “flexible and acrobatic” body. This body is capable of understanding complexities and differences and of engaging with those who are different from us. Art does not limit its action to granting form to what exists, but opens the field to what could exist. In this way, it plays a central role in public reasoning and nourishes and enriches the democratic institutions of a community.
The artistic imagination, the artist’s “fancy”—the result of the endless force of individual experience – is a powerful tool of life and creative action, capable of offering us guidance and awareness, also in relation to the challenges currently posed by artificial intelligence. Artissima embodies this acrobatic exercise of the imagination, oriented toward possibilities not yet visible. The fair is a physical, immediate and accelerated encounter with contemporary art, inviting us to rethink the way we see, inhabit and share the present.
The flagship sections — application deadline May 5, 2026
The Main Section brings together outstanding galleries from the international art world. Established names that offer collectors and art lovers an event of the highest quality. Monologue/Dialogue is set aside for emerging galleries or those with an experimental approach, applying with either a monographic booth or with works by two artists in dialogue. New Entries presents the most interesting emerging galleries from the international art scene that have been open less than five years and are taking part in Artissima for the first time. Art Editions is dedicated to galleries and non-profit spaces presenting editions, prints and multiples by contemporary talents.
The Selection Committee for the galleries taking part in the fair’s flagship sections comprises an international team of gallerists, including Paola Capata (Monitor gallery, Roma, Lisbon, Pereto), Philippe Charpentier (mor charpentier gallery, Paris, Bogotà), Guido Costa (Guido Costa Projects gallery, Torino), Emanuel Layr (Layr gallery, Vienna), Francesco Lecci (Clima gallery, Milano), Antoine Levi (Ciaccia Levi gallery, Paris, Milano) and Elsa Ravazzolo Botner (A Gentil Carioca gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo).
The curated sections — Application deadline April 28, 2026
Present Future, curated by Léon Kruijswijk (Performance Curator, Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean) and Joel Valabrega (Curator, Milano and Porto), showcases emerging talents, preferably less than 40 years of age. The artists, presented by their reference galleries, are selected on the basis of a specific project. The section features monographic projects to shed light on new trends across the international art scene.
Back to the Future, curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti (director, Albuquerque Foundation, Sintra) and Heike Munder (independent curator and writer, Zurich) presents monographic exhibitions by pioneers of contemporary art who, at different moment and in different places, between the 1930s and 1990s, were brave enough to stand up against what they deemed wrong. Artists are often the spokespersons of society, and their work channels not only anger and frustration, but also the dreams, the aspirations, the hopes that are essential to life. Application is also open to Artists’ Estates.
Disegni, curated by Irina Zucca Alessandrelli (curator Collezione Ramo, Milano and Milano Drawing Week), is the only section in an Italian art fair focusing on drawing. It presents projects conceived as solo shows that bring out the authenticity and autonomy of works on paper.
How to apply
Application forms are available at artissima.art. For more information on the application procedures please contact: Giuditta Zaniboni, International Exhibitors Manager / Laura Pongiluppi, Italian Exhibitors Manager.
Be part of Artissima 2026, Italy’s leading contemporary art fair.
