For 30 years, Artissima has been bringing the public up-to-date contemporary art, not only by Italian authors but also by established international talents. Every year, the fall city of Turin, a city full of art history, is filled with professional collectors, experts, critics, and simply art-enthusiasts who come to visit the fair. Maya Lungul talked to Luigi Fassi, Artissima’s director, about what Artissima is a quarter of a century after its opening, what philosophy underlies it, and what is the secret of success of the first contemporary art fair in Italy.
What would you say is the DNA of Artissima?
The DNA of Artissima is that of a fair that combines a long experience of commercial
dynamism with an identity as a cultural institution, pursuing the direct production of works
and projects with the artists represented by the galleries participating in each edition. Today, Artissima is a multifaceted fair platform that serves the market, involves dozens of museum directors at every edition, and attracts collectors interested in the privilege of discovery and research, far from speculative logics. At the heart of it all is the belief in art as a vehicle for civic and social responsibility and a driving force for the growth of the territory.
What is the price range of pieces? Who is the average buyer? What does
your collector look like?
The price range spans from around 2,000 euros for the more accessible works to over 1
million euros for the most impactful pieces. The average buyer at Artissima is an attentive,
well-traveled, and informed collector who pursues the logic of discovery rather than
confirmation, seeking galleries and artists with whom they are not yet familiar. For several
years, Artissima has offered the challenge of discovery and a mature, intelligent
confrontation with art, where the privilege lies in the dialogue created between the collector
and the gallerist, focused on content, depth, and art as a shared value.
Tell us about your path to this position as director of Artissima – how did you become
the head of Italy’s premier art fair?
I have a philosophical background and have always worked as a curator and director of
museums and non-profit institutions. Over the years, I have provided numerous
consultancies for contemporary art fairs in Europe and Africa, and I have developed the
conviction that fairs can be extraordinary accelerators of updates and exchanges for multiple stakeholders, such as museum directors, collectors, artists, and critics. This led to my interest in the idea that a fair can be not only a fundamental and indispensable market
platform for galleries but also an institution with its own specific profile of cultural
innovation. Several years ago, I provided a consultancy for Artissima, which accompanied
me for a long time and allowed me to closely know and appreciate its history and identity.
When the opportunity to direct it arose in 2021, I had no hesitation in embarking on the
adventure, and it has been a very happy decision.
What were the innovations at Artissima 2024?
This year, we involved about 50 curators and museum directors (an unprecedented number)
in various roles (curation of curated sections, guided tours, juries), thus creating a strong
focus on the gallery/museum relationship and providing participating galleries with
important opportunities in the world of museum exhibitions. At the same time, we created
very important special projects outside the fair, collaborating with many institutions in the
city, such as the Museum of Natural Sciences in Turin, and bringing works and installations
by significant artists selected from those represented by the galleries at the fair. Turin has
many museums of art, science, and history, and collaborating with them allows us to attract
new audiences to the fair, build original projects, and shape what I call the “Turin
experience,” an incredible synergy of relationships between museums and art and culture
foundations that is created in the city thanks to Artissima during the days of the fair.
What challenges in the organization have you identified and what lessons have you
learned from previous years?
Each edition of the fair is a new beginning. The work of the previous year is built upon, but
it is essential to be self-critical and understand where improvements can still be made,
especially at a time when the art market is evolving, and it is necessary to listen attentively
to the needs of the individual galleries. At this moment, the intention is to increase
Artissima’s projects spread throughout the year (talks, special projects with artists,
commissions) and to enhance the services for galleries at the fair.
What are the main stages of the preparation cycle for the fair? How many people do
you have on your team?
We are a team of about 15 people, working full-time throughout the year, with a phase of
research, planning, and update trips that covers the first months of the year. From April
onwards, the technical construction phase of the fair kicks into high gear, including the
selection of participating galleries, dialogue with them to finalize the booths, the creation of
the VIP program, and the realization of all the special projects both at the fair and outside of
it.
What personal qualities do you think are important to build a successful career in the
art sector?
I believe in a great synergy of idealism and pragmatism. One must have ideas, the ability to
study, and the strength to create projects that are always up-to-date. However, it is essential to learn how to realize every idea and ambition by confronting the practical needs of institutions, knowing how to plan in order to build coherent, credible, and rational action
plans.
How do you assess the investment attractiveness of buying young Italian artists?
Italian art has always had such strength that it has managed to assert itself internationally,
even without the support of major strategies from museums, institutions, and financiers.
Think of the genius of artists like Giorgio De Chirico, Alberto Savinio, Giorgio Morandi,
Alberto Burri, and Lucio Fontana. Then there are the names of Arte Povera, such as Mario
Merz, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Giovanni Anselmo, and Alighiero Boetti, leading up to the
present, with artists like Maurizio Cattelan. The genius loci of Italian art is also explained
by the identity of a country that is polycentric and somewhat anarchic, made up of multiple
important cities, local autonomies, and histories that are sometimes divergent and
asymmetric.
Imagine you have unlimited funds and opportunities. What would you do for
Artissima?
I would engage the city to the highest degree, through a dense network of artist
commissions and productions with artists from the galleries of Artissima, capable of
unleashing the history and urban quality of Turin, creating a fair where the market thrives on
exchanges of intelligence with the territory and where every collector feels the urgency of
engaging with an urgent and necessary project. I would also create a permanent forum for
collectors and museum directors, who could bring the best of their work to Turin every year,
sharing it through dialogue and collaboration.
