The theme of the 31st edition of Turin-based contemporary art fair Artissima has recently been announced, entitled “The Era of Daydreaming,” focusing on ideas around daydreams and, more broadly, spontaneous thought and its influence on creation. A subject that can be found widely not only in the realm of visual art but neuroscience and philosophy as well, daydreaming is experienced by all and plays an important role in considering the future, tapping imagination, hope, and emotion. Within the forthcoming fair, the theme will act as a conceptual throughline that offers intriguing perspectives on the art on view, as well as a new perspective on what visitors can take away with them.

Shafei Xia, I will be your mirror (2023). Photo: Carlo Favero. Courtesy of the artist and P420, Bologna.

“In an era of incessant connections and limitless external stimuli, a fascinating rediscovery is taking place: the inestimable value of impromptu thinking and daydreaming,” said Director of Artissima Luigi Fassi. “ … Wakeful dreaming has immense creative potential, employed primarily by artists to break down the barriers of what is known and predictable, to blaze new trails in the exploration of our time. This year, Artissima invites you to listen to your reveries, summoning a community of daydreamers, of artists and those who accompany their work, in a thrilling voyage of discovery of the unlimited potential of the human mind.”

Ingeborg Lüscher, Untitled (1987). Photo: Dona De Carli. Courtesy of the artist and Gandy, Bratislava.

The 2024 edition of Artissima will be held November 1–3, with an invitation-only preview October 31, 2024, welcoming 189 exhibiting galleries both national and international—with 37 participating in the fair for the first time and a total of 66 dedicating their presentations to solo-artist projects. Alongside the fair’s Main Section, visitors can explore three additional proprietary sections, including New Entries, showcasing 15 emerging galleries appearing at the fair for the first time, Monologue/Dialogue, comprised of 38 solo or dual-artist presentations by galleries noted for their experimental approach, and Art Spaces and Editions, focusing on galleries specializing in editions and multiples, as well as bookstores, project spaces, and non-profit initiatives.

Installation view of “Angharad Williams: Picture the Others” at MOSTYN, Llandudno (2022). Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan.

Artissima will also stage three curated sections: Present Future, Back to the Future, and Disegni. Marking its 24th year appearing at the fair, Present Future is curated by Léon Kruijswijk of the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, and Joel Valabrega of Galeria Municipal do Porto, Oporto, the section focuses on new international trends through the lens of emerging talents. In Back to the Future, organized by independent writer and curator Heike Munder and independent curator Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, the work of pioneering contemporary artists are explored through monographic presentations. Finally, in Disegni, returning for its 8th edition and curated by Irina Zucca Alessandrelli of the Collezione Ramo, Milan, the presentation takes sharp focus on drawing as a medium.

Together, the expansive fair offers a comprehensive art experience—the only of its kind in Italy—bringing together historical and contemporary art and boundary-pushing projects that shed new light on the international art scene.

Artimissia will be held in Turin, Italy, November 1–November 3, 2024.