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Although the most famous Italian art movement of the 20th Century, Arte Povera, developed here in the 60s, only with the departure of Fiat from Turin did the city place emphasis on culture, and with a view to develop cultural tourism in the major cities of Italy, Turin presented itself as an ideal candidate to become the contemporary art capital of Italy.

Particularly striking is the newcomer to the art fairs, the Artissima, that since 1994 has been taking place in the converted Fiat factory renovated by Renzo Piano  specializing in contemporary art. However, other institutions in and around Turin have made a name for themselves as well, for example the Castello di Rivoli in Turin (see Newsletter 01 2010), whose exhibitions were curated for five years by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, current director of Dokumenta. Among the great centers of contemporary art are also the Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea - short GAM - as the Museum of Modern Art in Turin with 40,000 works in the permanent exhibition, the Fondazione Merz of late Turin Arte Provera artist Mario Merz (d. 2003) and the Foundation (founded 1995) of the collector Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, which opened a new exhibition hall for its collection in 2002 in a former industrial district. The many sculptures and installations across the city of artists such as Mario Merz, Per Kirkeby, Tony Cragg, Piero Gilardi, Costa Varotsos and many others particularly catch the eye of the city's visitors. In conjunction with Turin's lively gallery scene, Turin undeniably lays claim to the title of Italian capital of contemporary art.

Tip: Turismo Torino offers a free special map in different languages describing the most important institutions, events and sculptures in public spaces under the title "Route of contemporary art." www.turismotorino.org 

www.artissima.it, www.castellodirivoli.org, www.gamtorino.it,
www.fondazionemerz.org, www.fondsrr.org