The Art System: Contemporary Art

For some time now, Torino has been considered one of the main European hubs of contemporary art. The city has acquired this leading role by offering the public a wide range of different activities supported by many public and private structures dedicated to promoting creativity. First and foremost, the GAM - (Municipal Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art), inaugurated in 1963, where a permanent collection of more than 20,000 items – including masterpieces by Felice Casorati, of the Group of Six and of Poor Art – is accompanied by major theme-based temporary exhibitions. The Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, located at Rivoli Castle, a former Savoy residence and now also home of the Museum of Advertising (what better site than Torino, the city of the Armando Testa advertising agency) is characterised by the sharp contrast between the austere surroundings and the extremely modern exhibitions tied to the artistic language of the present. Of the private structures, it is worth remembering in particular the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo which, together with exhibitions and retrospectives, also engages in intense teaching activities intended to inform the public of current trends through seminars, conferences, studies, courses and workshops for children. With regard to training, Torino is also the home of the Accademia Albertina where artists and curators of artistic assets perfect their knowledge. These major contexts are accompanied by two major assets of the contemporary art circuit in Torino: the art galleries and artists. With its great tradition of art galleries, Torino has been able to promote the growth of local talents and to bring them to the notice of an attentive public of art lovers and collectors. Today, the city proposes a wide choice of different exhibition spaces with a vast range of works, from the surrealists of Piedmont to Food Art, from pokerists to photographers. Under the Mole, the city offers this huge galaxy of artists, art gallery owners, curators, collectors and art lovers major occasions for meeting. The most important include Artissima, held at the Lingotto – the leading exhibition-market of contemporary art in where the works of artists of the international power network are on sale and also those of emerging artists, presented at New Entries, the review dedicated to young avant-garde galleries. In Torino, contemporary art overflows from its more traditional venues to invade the city streets. In recent years, Torino has invited renowned international artists to re-invent urban space with their works. The most important project of this type is certainly Luci d’artista (switched on to mark the Olympic Games) which proposes new lighting installations and new choreographies to embellish the city.

GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Via Magenta 31 – Tel. +39 011 5629911 - www.gamtorino.it The Municipal Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GAM), constructed in 1959, was re- opened to the public in 1993 after a long period of restoration. The Gallery houses works dating from the end of the 19th century. In addition to an elite permanent collection – the leading public collection in Italy with 40,000 works - the GAM also hosts temporary exhibitions of international calibre. Works by Fattori, Morandi, Manzù are on show and visitors can access the library, bookshop, video and photo collections and the various services of the Gallery.

Castello di Rivoli – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Piazza Mafalda di Savoia - Rivoli (To) - Tel. +39 011 9565220 – www.castellodirivoli.org Rivoli Castle, designed by Filippo Juvarra, houses part of the permanent exhibition dedicated to artists working at the end of the Sixties. Major temporary shows occupy the third floor, dubbed Manica Lunga – built in the 17th century to house the art collection of Prince Charles Emanuel I - while works by Emilio Vedova, , , , Sol LeWitt, Richard Long, , , , Maurizio Cattelan, , Gilbert & George are on display on the floors of the Castle. It also houses the Dipartimento Pubblicità e Comunicazione, the first museum in Italy dedicated to advertising.

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Via Modane, 16 – Tel. +39 011 3797600 - www.fondsrr.org The Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, set up in 1995, aims to make the public aware of the ferments and current tendencies of contemporary art acting as an observatory of the most interesting avant-garde movements; the vast field of visual arts – , , photography, videos, installations and performances – is analysed and proposed to the public with many different activities that accompany the exhibitions. In 1997, the Fondazione inaugurated its first exhibition space at Guarene d'Alba (CN) inside the 18th century Palazzo Re Rebaudengo and in September 2002 opened the exhibition area of Torino: the new centre is intended to promote meetings and contacts between the public and new generations of artists, critics and curators.