10 Reasons to visit Torino - Part 5. Contemporary art

Although contemporary art isn't necessarily my cup of tea, Turin is its undisputed Italian capital. One of the former Royal Palaces, that underwent an unfinished modification process that would have transformed it into the Versailles of the Alps, was massively restored starting 1979 and reopened to the public as a Museum of Contemporary Art in 1984: the Castle of Rivoli. Located just outside the city limits, in the municipality of Rivoli, this imposing building houses an enormous permanent collection spread throughout the stately rooms of the Savoy residence (also a UNESCO World Heritage site) and temporary exhibitions usually staged in the so-called "long wing" of the Palace. Artistic expressions by international masters such as Sol Lewitt, Maurizio Cattelan, Daniel Buren, Gilberto Zorio, Lawrence Winers, and Richard Long, to name a few, are exhibited here.

However, the Castle of Rivoli is not the only city museum dedicated to contemporary art, but merely the main one. As the Italian capital of this sector, the offerings are truly vast, ranging from museums to events. Among the museums, I also recommend the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli and the Pista del Lingotto, the private collection of the Agnelli family, a path through the installations located on the roof of the former Lingotto car factory.

There are numerous events dedicated to contemporary art as well in Torino, mostly held in the fall, such as Artissima, Paratissima, Flashback, and The Others, which offer a unique and truly diverse opportunity to immerse yourself in this world and meet gallery owners and artists from around the world.

However, contemporary art in Turin is scattered throughout the city, both in the historic center and the suburbs. Sometimes you have to look up to see hidden installations, like Carlo Levi's and the Cliostraat group’s famous "Urban Kisses" (1996) which Turin residents simply refer to as the "Piercing," or Tony Cragg's "Points of View" (2005) located in front of Turin's Olympic Stadium, and many others.

If you're visiting Turin and are interested in contemporary art, I recommend my guided tour "Food, Art, and Design in Turin," dedicated to contemporaneity in all its forms. You'll discover many installations and important design stories, sipping a glass of good local wine and tasting some Turin delicacies.