Halloween weekend in Turin has a rather more colourful plan than trick-or-treating. From Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, Artissima, Italy’s leading contemporary art fair, fills the Oval at Lingotto Fiere for its 33rd edition. The glass-and-steel hall, some 20,000 square metres, was built for speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics and has hosted the fair since 2010.
Why “Fancy”?
This year’s theme is Fancy: A Flexible, Acrobatic Body, chosen by the fair’s director, Luigi Fassi, now in his fifth year in charge. The phrase comes from the American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum, who uses “fancy” to mean the imagination’s ability to leap beyond everyday facts and help us understand people unlike ourselves. In a recent guide to the fair, Vanity Fair Italia describes a visit as a workout for the eyes and for emotional intelligence, rather than an escape from real life. The official programme makes a similar point, presenting art as a kind of public intelligence that helps a community picture what could exist, not only what already does.
What to look out for
The fair brings together 183 galleries from 35 countries, according to the organisers, with more than 60 of them showing projects devoted to a single artist. Established names sit alongside the New Entries section for younger galleries, while Back to the Future revisits overlooked careers. Vanity Fair Italia singles out Mariuccia Secol, a 97-year-old Italian artist whose witty, often textile-based work deserves far wider recognition. Its writer also recommends the booths showing Ugo Rondinone’s stacked “mountain” sculptures and Sol LeWitt’s bands of colour, playful pieces by Alicja Kwade, and a hand-stitched artist’s rug by Marinella Senatore. For the best overview, the magazine suggests heading up to the main café to look down over every booth at once.
Tickets cost €24 at full price, with reduced and two-day options listed on the fair’s website. Booking online in advance is advised to avoid queues.
Colour you can wear
If the fair’s bold palettes leave you inspired, you can bring a little of that spirit into your own wardrobe. Our multi-gemstone rings mix colours much as a painter might, while statement earrings and pendant necklaces add a single bright accent. Stack a few bracelets, and keep your hands free for the gallery map with one of our crossbody bags.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia, “Artissima, esercizi di fantasia e pezzi da non perdere nella grande mostra d’arte di Torino” by Francesca Amé (29 October 2026); Artissima official website, practical information and 2026 edition announcements (artissima.art). Featured image: AI-generated scene.
