Turin celebrates 25 years of OUVERTURE: contemporary art lights up the city

Turin enthusiastically celebrates the 25th anniversary of OUVERTURE, the event that has shaped and continues to shape the face of contemporary art galleries in the city. Since 2000, TAG – Torino Art Galleries has continuously promoted this project, uniting the energies of the most influential galleries and making the city a hub for artists, collectors, and art lovers. On the evening of September 18th, sixteen galleries will open their doors simultaneously, offering a shared journey among established artists and promising young talents, both Italian and international, in spaces transformed into laboratories of creativity and exchange.

The secret of OUVERTURE lies as much in the boldness of a shared vision as in the continuity of its purpose. The event was born out of a need to foster dialogue among Turin's exhibition spaces, fostering the development of new talent and encountering emerging artistic languages ​​and experimentation. The constant presence of the Fondazione per l'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, its sole supporting body from the beginning, has ensured TAG's continuity and growth potential, cementing Turin as one of the national capitals of contemporary art. Over time, the city has embraced artistic innovation and expanded its audience, bringing culture to the center of social and urban life.

The atmosphere of the "TAG Gallery Nights" has enlivened Turin's evenings, offering unique opportunities to discover new works, engage with leading figures in the art world, and immerse oneself in a vibrant and engaging circuit. OUVERTURE has never been just a regular event, but a platform for connections, friendships, and collaborations, with gallery owners ready to share original exhibition experiences and artists eager to share their research and perspectives. To celebrate this anniversary, TAG is planning a series of special events, with extended opening hours until 11 p.m., allowing everyone—aficionados, the curious, and collectors—to visit multiple exhibitions in a single day and experience the city as an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

Elisabetta Chiono, recently reappointed president along with the management team, emphasizes that September represents a time of rebirth after the summer break, a crucial transition for the galleries and the city. The decision to extend exhibition hours symbolizes the desire to engage an increasingly broad and curious audience, consolidating Turin's role as a welcoming and cultural city. The constant invitation is to feel part of a shared narrative, where the fabric of the galleries intertwines with the expectations and dreams of the community.

Over these 25 years, OUVERTURE has evolved and adapted to the challenges of a constantly evolving art scene. TAG conceived "ManifesTO," collaborating with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the City of Turin's Department of Culture, and promoted projects such as "Outlook" and the various editions of Gallery Nights, strengthening dialogue with institutions and reaffirming its commitment to independent design. Each edition of Ouverture has been a laboratory open to the present, helping to develop a new artistic sensibility among younger generations and to network between institutions, artists, and the public.

The role of Torino Art Galleries as a cultural pillar has been cemented thanks to its tireless work mediating between the local community and artistic creation. The CRT Foundation has guaranteed economic autonomy and attention to the needs of innovation, enabling the growth of increasingly ambitious and participatory initiatives. The association has successfully weathered crises and transformations, relaunching itself as a meeting place and promoter of high-profile events, even during the most challenging times like the pandemic, offering a tangible sign of resilience and vitality to the city scene.

The traditional exhibition spread throughout the city allows for the inauguration of more than a dozen coordinated exhibitions, creating a network of cultural itineraries that wind through the streets and historic neighborhoods. This successful formula has strengthened the bond between member galleries, fostering the growth of relationships and the development of a loyal audience, eager to receive ever-new inspiration from the forms and ideas of contemporary art. Over the years, TAG has welcomed new galleries, further enriching its exhibition offering and offering visibility to the most innovative artists and trends, with a growing focus on inclusion and social participation.

Looking to the future, TAG renews its commitment to promoting art as a driver of change, supporting the dissemination of values ​​and practices capable of influencing the city's cultural destiny. The mission, as reiterated by the board of directors on the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary, is to strengthen the connection between art and community, offering tools for understanding the present and designing the future through the language of creativity. Dialogue with local authorities, museums, and universities remains central to a positive cross-fertilization, capable of fostering increasingly rich projects and exchanges.

For Turin, September has become the month of art, reopening, and anticipation. OUVERTURE renews this vocation each year, responding to the challenges of the times and offering an increasingly open and inclusive stage. The value of meetings, workshops, inaugurations, and debates is reflected in the energy of shared evenings, where the city comes alive and lights up with new artistic nuances. The events take place in the evening to promote accessibility for all, and the inclusive approach enriches the cultural offering, engaging not only professionals but also newcomers, students, and the merely curious.

With this new edition, OUVERTURE confirms its status as an essential event: an innovative event and an integral part of Turin's cultural history, a crossroads of talent, experimentation, and vision. The synergy between galleries, foundations, and the public is key to keeping Turin's creative fire alive, with an open and dynamic perspective that looks confidently to the coming decades of encounters and discoveries.