Artissima is Italy’s most important contemporary art fair. Since its establishment in 1994, it has combined the presence of an international market with a focus on experimentation and research.
Contemporary Lynx Magazine was an official partner of Artissima. Our team took part in the fair for the second time. We exhibited the latest and back issues of Contemporary Lynx, in the magazine’s section alongside fellow art magazines Frieze, Flash Art, and Artforum.
We also had plenty of opportunities to wander through the aisles in search of our favourite artists and to discover some new names. This way, we encountered for the first time the diverse, complex and politically-engaged work by Polish-Swiss artist Vera Isler (1931-2015). Her complicated oeuvre touched upon topics spanning science and technology, political activism and work related to the heated debate on feminist movements in the 60s to the 80s. Work by Vera Isler was rediscovered by the Swiss gallery Balzer Projects, which presented her from a vantage point of current times.
We were especially pleased to hear that this year’s Special Mention of the Illy Present Future Prize went to Joanna Piotrowska whose black-and-white photography was beautifully exhibited against a yellow background by Lisbon-based Madragoa Gallery. We reported on Joanna’s project in the previous issue of the Magazine.
In ChertLudde Gallery’s booth, artist Kasia Fudakowski exhibited eye-catching surrealistic objects. Oversized pieces of bacon hang on a sort of metal ladder complimented by large, realistic fried eggs. The bacon was reminiscent of Salvador Dali’s fluid surreal clocks.
Kasia Michalski Gallery encouraged the audience to enter its booth through a soft and delicate curtain created by Alicja Bielawska. The explosion of coloured lines and abstract patterns in works executed in various technique by two artists Bielawska and Rafal Dominik mingled in the display and stood out among the other exhibitions.
During the Artissima fair the city turned into a vibrant art scene packed with art events, exhibitions, special projects and satellite art fairs such as The Others or DAMA fair. They all happened in various and unexpected locations around the town. For instance, the DAMA presented gallery booths inside a stunning baroque palace in the centre of Turin. It is worth mentioning that the main prize of the DAMA was granted to Honza Zamojski’s presentation prepared by Leto Gallery.
Artissima stands out in the busy global art scene thanks to the quality of artwork and an excellent selection of international galleries. The fair is a perfect spot for discovering new talent. At Artissima, beginner art enthusiasts, as well as experienced art collectors, mingle in a welcoming atmosphere.
