Artissima: discovery is the driving force behind the fair; the market needs time

«IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS», 2024 di Marcello Maloberti, 19th Century Madonna statue, polychrome plaster, galvanized steel brackets 183 x 72 x 43 cm

“Although the difficulties currently affecting the art market are also being felt at Artissima, the fair continues to stand out as the most influential event on the national scene, both for the quality of its offerings and for its organisational prowess,” notes Niccolò Fano of Matèria, who presented works by José Angelino, Stefano Canto and Mario Cresci, three artists from different generations who explore light and time as forces of transformation, amidst the instability of form, the permeability of matter and the unpredictability of perception (prices ranging from 1,500 to 35,000 euros).

« Cloacina», 2026 di Stefano Canto. Ice, oxides, concrete 40 x 35 x 18 cm

For Gian Marco Casini, of the gallery bearing his name, Artissima remains the most important event of the year and the one most in tune with the gallery’s programme. “Although we made more sales than last year, the average price stood at lower levels, between 5,000 and 6,000 euros. This is a sign that there is a demand for works at more affordable prices: the bar has been lowered”, observes the gallery owner. At the fair, he presented works by Hamza Badran, Clarissa Baldassari, Juan Pablo Macias, Alessandro Manfrin and Margherita Moscardini, with prices ranging from 2,000 to 25,000 euros.

The Berlin-based gallery ChertLüdde presented several artists from its roster, but the main focus was on Ali Eyal (Baghdad, 1994), now based in Los Angeles, who has previously exhibited at the Whitney Biennial in New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and the Istanbul Biennial. For Artissima, she created a project centred on a series of small paintings and a sculptural installation. At the centre are brightly coloured ceramic creatures, resembling caterpillars, to which fragments of the original drawing of a dead horse from his family’s farm have been attached. The torn canvas to which one of the caterpillars is sewn is a reinterpretation of Théodore Géricault’s ‘Dead Horse’ (1823). A work that reflects on personal memory and its constant transformation – themes that also run through the work of Sofía Salazar Rosales (Quito, 1999), winner of the Oelle – Mediterraneo Antico 2026 Prize. The Ecuadorian artist explores the global circulation of people and goods through objects that become testimonies to social, political and economic contexts. The jury, comprising curators Caterina Riva and Alberto Salvadori, recognised a practice capable of weaving together intimate experiences and collective histories. The award will enable her to undertake a research and production residency in Sicily, dedicated to cultural cross-fertilisation in the Mediterranean, the results of which will be presented in an exhibition organised by the OELLE Foundation (with prices ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 euros).

‘Back to the Future’ takes on a special significance this year: namely, to highlight the role of art as a form of testimony and a means of taking a stand; artists often act as interpreters of society, giving voice not only to anger and frustration, but also to dreams, aspirations and hopes. This theme is particularly relevant in the presentation of Ângela Ferreira (Maputo, 1958), an artist of Portuguese origin born in Mozambique and raised in South Africa, presented by Cristina Guerra (Lisbon). The sculptures and drawings created in the 1980s, whilst she was studying at the University of Cape Town, evoke episodes of resistance to apartheid and foreshadow some of the central themes of her work: the legacies of colonialism, inequalities and the way in which history continues to shape the present. Created using humble materials and through a visual language that weaves together Soviet, Pop and postmodern references, these works demonstrate how art can preserve the memory of forms of resistance and bring them back into the contemporary discourse (120,000 euros).

In Monologue/Dialogue, Gilda Lavia presented a project with a contemporary focus, showcasing works by Pamela Diamante and Avelino Sala, with prices ranging from 1,500 to 27,000 euros. “I wanted to bring these works to the fair, as they reflect the reality we are experiencing at this moment in history,” explains the gallery owner. The project brings together two artistic practices that explore power, social conditioning and historical memory. The exhibition space thus becomes a field of forces in which the instruments of institutional control and the logic of capital are analysed and reinterpreted as potential tools for the defence of civil rights.

Once again, the Monologue/Dialogue KodlContemporary, a gallery founded in 2025 in Prague’s historic centre, builds on a family tradition of collecting and patronage dating back to the late 19th century and developed over the 130 years of Galerie Kodl’s activity. The programme focuses on contemporary art from Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on experimentation and engagement with historical, social and political contexts. At its first appearance at Artissima, the gallery presented two Czech artists: the paintings of Pavla Malinová, priced between 3,000 and 10,000 euros, and the video by Jakub Jansa (1989), who will represent the Czech Republic at the 61st Venice Biennale. The work, offered at 55,000 euros in an edition of five, is set to enter the collection of the National Gallery in Prague at the end of the Biennale. This is an example of how participation in the fair can intertwine the art market with institutional recognition, with a work that already has the prospect of public acquisition.

«Silence of the Mole», 2026 di Jakub Jansa. Film

The results were positive for the galleries in the New Entries section, which recorded sales in almost every case. For these galleries, often making their debut on the international scene, the fair also represents an opportunity to present their programme to collectors and institutions, build relationships and gain visibility. This is the case with Clauda, a gallery founded in 2025 by Antonín Jirát in Prague’s Letná district, which presented a solo exhibition by Tereza Kalousová, a young artist whose training and visual practice are rooted in architecture. The gallery, keen to strengthen the dialogue between the Czech art scene and the international art world, found Artissima to be a suitable platform for reaching an Italian audience. It also received support from the Artissima New Entries Fund, which contributed to its participation. “We have also established some important contacts, both with institutions and with other interesting people. Artissima also functions very much like a conference, and this makes it even more valuable,” the gallery emphasises (the prices of Kalousová’s works range from 2,000 to 8,400 euros).
APARTAMENTO, a gallery based in Marseille, also recorded sales at the solo exhibition by Fábio Colaço (Portugal, 1995). The gallery considers Artissima to be particularly aligned with its own programme due to its curatorial approach and the space dedicated to conceptual and daring proposals. The works on display were priced between 2,000 and 9,500 euros: the sculptures from the ‘Still Point’ series ranged from 2,000 to 4,000 euros, whilst the neon work ‘We Are Living’ reached 9,500 euros.

«Untitled» (1984), 2024. di Fábio Colaço, “1984” book by Georges Orwell, rubber band, poplar wood plinth 6,5 x 23 x 7,5 cm

The Lutnița Gallery in Chișinău, having previously taken part in LISTE Basel and the RAD Art Fair in Bucharest, has chosen Artissima to present its programme to Italian collectors and institutions. The stand brought together works by Alex Bodea, Pavel Brăila,  Diana Cepleanu and Mark Verlan, creating a dialogue between artists from different generations and backgrounds. Prices ranged from 800 to 15,000 euros. The gallery stated that it had arrived in Turin “with curiosity and an openness to dialogue, rather than with pre-set expectations”.
Support for emerging galleries is bolstered by the Artissima New Entries Fund, promoted directly by the fair to facilitate the participation of three international galleries: WHOISPOLA from Warsaw, Lutnița from Chișinău and Clauda from Prague. This initiative combines commercial success with the aim of encouraging the presence of new operators and innovative proposals on the international scene.

Artissima’s cultural dimension is also reflected in an increasingly structured relationship with institutions, as demonstrated by the “Curators’ Choice” programme and the support provided for acquisitions by Turin’s museums. The Fondazione Arte CRT has once again confirmed a fund of 300,000 euros for 2026, earmarked for the collections of the GAM – Turin’s Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art – and the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art. This investment has, for over 25 years, helped to transform the art presented at the fair into public heritage. This year, 15 works by 11 artists have been acquired. Five works by the artists Michel Auder, Juliana Frontin, Renata Lucas, Hu Yun and Akram Zaatari will join the Castello di Rivoli collection; whilst the works by Rossella Biscotti, Flavio Favelli, Linda Fregni Nagler, Dora Garcia, Thomas Hirschhorn and Boris Mikhailov will instead be added to the GAM’s collections. The selection reflects a diverse international scene, perhaps shaped by the international profile of the Fondazione Arte CRT’s Scientific Committee, which supports the Foundation in its decisions and in defining strategic directions, but it also raises a question: the presence of Italian artists, whilst significant, remains a minority compared to the acquisitions as a whole. This fact prompts us to question the ability of institutions to support national artistic research and to translate the visibility offered by the fair into more lasting public recognition.