Artissima 2026 celebrates its role in the discovery and rediscovery of talents, through the assignment of 12 prizes, an acquisitions fund, a special mention, organized in collaboration with partners, foundations and institutions. Aimed at recognizing the value of the work of artists and galleries, the prizes will be assigned at the fair by international juries composed of curators and directors of leading museums of contemporary art from around the world. Artissima 2026 also promote an acquisitions fund with the support of Fondazione Arte CRT.
Fondazione Arte CRT confirms its Acquisitions Fund in support of the collections of GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Torino and Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, reaching a total of 300,000 euros. Over the years, including through acquisitions made at Artissima, the Foundation has built a remarkable collection of contemporary art, which is now among the most prestigious in Italy and internationally: almost 1,000 works, ranging from painting and sculpture to video, photography, large-scale installations and NFTs, created by around 380 artists, representing a total investment of over 43 million euros.
SELETTI WONDER AWARDS (NEW!)
This year Seletti opens a direct dialogue with the world of contemporary art, choosing Artissima to launch the first edition of the Seletti Wonder Award. A multidisciplinary jury of experts will select one artist at the fair – from a completely new discovery to an established mid-career talent – whose research offers an original perspective on reality. The winner will receive a research grant and the opportunity to develop a special project in collaboration with the company. The results will remain secret until the next edition of the fair and prize in 2027.
Juru: Eva and Franco Mattes, Ilenia Paneghini, Marisa Passera, Maria Chiara Valacchi
ILLY PRESENT FUTURE PRIZE
Illy Present Future Prize, produced in collaboration with illycaffè, has been awarded for 26 years to an artist taking part in the curated section Present Future – which has always been a platform for the discovery of new talents – and offers an important contribution to the visibility of emerging artists.
Jury: Yilmaz Dziewior, Mariam Elnozahy, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Toleen Touq, Nicole Yip
ORLANE PER L’ARTE PRIZE
Promoted by Orlane since 2024, the prize supports the research and development of one of the galleries taking part in Artissima that demonstrates the greatest care and balance in the presentation of its artists.
Jury: Stefano Collicelli Cagol, Chris Dercon, Andreja Hribernik
ARCHIVORUM UNWRITTEN AWARD (NEW!)
A new award, presented within the Monologue/Dialogue section of Artissima and designed to support the development of an editorial project conceived by an artist and realised in collaboration with Archivorum. The award stems from the idea that publishing can be an integral part of an artistic practice, rather than simply a way of documenting it.
DIANA BRACCO – IMPRENDITRICI AD ARTE PRIZE
Created in 2023 and promoted by Fondazione Bracco in collaboration with Fondazione Roberto De Silva e Diana Bracco of Milano – it recognizes the value of the professional figure of the woman gallerist and entrepreneur. A jury of experts will select one rising woman gallerist, Italian or international, whose gallery has at least one location in Italy and whose entrepreneurial history demonstrates a vivid interest in artistic research and quality.
Jury: Nicoletta Fiorucci, Lorenzo Giusti, Marta Papini
OELLE – MEDITERRANEO ANTICO PRIZE
The prize is promoted for the fifth year by Fondazione Oelle and will select one artist that will take part in a residency in Sicily, aimed at producing a project that explores the intersections between languages and contemporary cultures of the Mediterranean. At the end of the residency, the project will be showcased in one of the Foundation’s exhibition venues.
Jury: Caterina Riva, Alberto Salvadori
PISTA 500 PRIZE
Created in 2023 in collaboration with Pinacoteca Agnelli, the prize will grant an artist the opportunity to produce an artwork for the permanent billboard on Pista 500, a project of site-specific art installations on the roof of Lingotto, near Artissima. The work will be unveiled during Artissima 2027.
Giuria: Pietro Rigolo, Nicola Trezzi, Alison Gingeras
“AD OCCHI CHIUSI…” PRIZE
Fondazione Merz returns with the “ad occhi chiusi…” Prize, as part of the Foundation’s ongoing research. For 2026, in conjunction with the major exhibition on Marisa Merz, the inspiration behind the Prize, the project has evolved, offering one artist the opportunity to produce an exhibition or performance to be presented during Artissima 2027.
Jury: Beatrice Merz, Övül Ö. Durmuşoğlu, Alya Sebti, Giulia Turconi
ARTISSIMA NEW ENTRIES FUND
Confirmed for its fourth year, the Artissima New Entries Fund is directly supported by the fair to provide financial support to three galleries participating in the New Entries section, dedicated to the most interesting emerging international galleries. An international jury will award the grant to the three galleries in the section deemed most deserving based on the artistic quality of their fair participation proposals.
Jury: Sandro Droschl, Lauriane Gricourt, Damien Zhang
PREMIO TOSETTI VALUE PER LA FOTOGRAFIA
Tosetti Value – Il Family office continues its support of Artissima by promoting for the seventh year in a row an award for photography. The jury selects the artist whose photographic work is considered particularly significant in understanding the current historical, social and economic context. As part of the project, a work will be acquired for the Corporate Collection of the Family office.
Jury: Walter Guadagnini, Roberta Tenconi, Alterazioni Video
MATTEO VIGLIETTA AWARD
Promoted by Collezione La Gaia and now in its fifth edition, the award was created to commemorate Matteo Viglietta: an outstanding, passionate collector who had a very strong bond with Artissima from the outset. The Collection selects and acquires an artwork to become part of its holdings.
ETTORE AND INES FICO PRIZE
Organized by MEF Museo Ettore Fico of Torino since 2010 and now at its 17th edition, the prize continues to support the work of young artists through an acquisition. The winner will be selected for the distinctive quality of their artistic practice on the international stage.
THE CURATORS’ CHOICE
The Curators’ Choice is a new hospitality program for international curators invited to experience Artissima from their own critical perspective. Supported by Fondazione Arte CRT, the initiative features a dedicated hospitality program and a tailored agenda designed to foster connections between professionals active in museums, biennials, and international institutions and the participating galleries. Each curator will be asked to highlight one gallery previously unknown to them, whose displays are considered particularly interesting, through a special mention conceived as a critical recognition—symbolic yet highly prestigious—capable of generating authority and international resonance.
