TURIN, ITALY.- Turin will be hosting the most intriguing event of the season: Artissima, an appointment with all the appeal that attracts VIPs, a chance to meet the people that count in the contemporary art world: artists, collectors, museum directors, curators, art critics… but also an extraordinary opportunity to discover the latest art trends, to discover new galleries and young artists, and, why not, to buy today the big names of tomorrow.

At Artissima the focus is definitely on young creativity and the latest research into materials and original artistic languages, amidst photographs, videos, installations and performances. A highly innovative project, but always attentive to the quality that has made the Turin Fair the international benchmark for emerging art. A result achieved by Artissima thanks also to its ability to attract authoritative consultants of exceptional value. The Fair is able to rely on the support of the most credited names at international level to sit on the Scientific Committee, the two committees responsible for selecting the galleries and the curatorial committees of the various sections.

From the 10th to the 12th of November 2006, at Lingotto Fiere, Artissima 13 will be even more unique. 172 galleries: a sparkling showcase featuring an exclusive mix of established galleries, and world famous artists with the new generations of galleries and artists, aimed at research and experimentation, that are beginning to approach the market.

Present Future: this year the section reserved for talents waiting to be discovered is by invitation only. Two young and successful international curators have selected the works of 14 emerging artists for Artissima. The winner of the illy Prize will be selected during the Fair.

New Entries: the section dedicated to young galleries – established after 2001 and appearing at Artissima for the first time – will include 20 of the most avant-garde representatives of international contemporary art.

Constellations: a theatrical exhibition within the context of Artissima will host 9 exceptional artistic projects in the section dedicated to large-scale works, with museum-related ambitions, selected by a prestigious committee. Artissima 13 will be dedicating extensive space to museums, foundations, artistic institutions, specialized magazines and publishers from Italy and abroad. Art is a place for thought and the Fair is the best place for comparing the protagonists of contemporary art from all over the world. For 2006 Artissima has involved artists such as Jeremy Deller, Francesco Vezzoli and Eric Van Lieshout, witnesses of the most recent tragedies of war like Gilles Saussier, Steve Mumford and Martha Rosler, bloggers and journalists such as Tyler Green, Barry Schwabsky, Walter Robinson and Alessandra Mammì, and museum directors and curators like Adam Weinberg, Charles Esche, Ralph Rugoff, Yuko Hasegawa, Ida Gianelli, Pier Giovanni Castagnoli, Marcella Beccaria, Massimiliano Gioni and Mark Tribe, in stimulating and intriguing themes such “Collecting the uncollectible”, ”Art in the time of war”, “Re-inventing permanent collections” , “Fame and infamy”, together with experts from the new frontiers of Chinese art (and the Chinese art world) like Huang Zhuan, Lu Jie and Ruth Noack.

The programme of meetings has been organised under the direction of Artissima 13 Scientific Committee, made up of David A. Ross, President Artist Pension Trust, New York, in the role of coordinator, flanked by two authoritative personalities, Ida Gianelli, Director Castello di Rivoli, Museum of Contemporary Art and Pier Giovanni Castagnoli, Director of GAM/Turin Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art.

The Present Future illy Prize awarding ceremony will take place in the Fair on November 10th. Marcella Beccaria, curator Castello di Rivoli, Musuem of Contemporary Art, will be responsible for the selection of the winning artist.

Workshops, conferences and presentations created in conjunction with other institutions, and publishers will complete the rich variety of cultural elements offered by Artissima. On the occasion of Artissima Fondazione CRT will present the new video created by Daniele Segre, dedicated to the works purchased by the Foundation for the GAM and Castello di Rivoli collections within its Modern and Contemporary Art Project, launched in 1999 with the aim to build up the art system in the city of Turin. The Project made possible to enrich the collections of the museums with over 190 pieces, for an investment of over 18 million euros.

This edition will also feature the special programme that brings more than 200 of the most well-known international collectors to Turin as guests of Artissima, for a preview visit of the Fair, to meet galleries and enjoy the numerous proposals dedicated by the city to contemporary art.