For Esse Go — International Art, Turin
For Esse Go International Art is a contemporary art initiative based in Turin, Italy, focused on promoting Italian and international art across exhibition formats and cultural exchange programmes. Turin has been one of Italy’s most dynamic contemporary art cities since the 1960s Arte Povera movement and hosts several major art fairs and galleries, making it a natural base for organisations dedicated to cross-border cultural dialogue in the visual arts. The initiative operates within Turin’s broader ecosystem of public and private art institutions, contributing to the city’s ongoing role as a hub of contemporary creativity.
At a glance
- Type
- Contemporary art organisation and exhibition platform
- Focus
- International contemporary art exchange and promotion
- City
- Turin (Torino), Piedmont, Italy
- Location
- Turin, Italy · 45.0710° N, 7.6850° E
Overview
For Esse Go International Art operates in Turin, one of Italy’s premier contemporary art cities and home to major institutions including the Castello di Rivoli, the GAM Galleria d’Arte Moderna, and the annual Artissima international art fair. The organisation engages with the international art community through exhibitions, collaborations, and cultural exchange programmes that connect Italian artists with global contexts. Turin’s tradition of avant-garde collecting and institutional support for contemporary art — rooted in the legacy of Arte Povera artists such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mario Merz, and Alighiero Boetti — provides a rich backdrop for its activities.
History
Turin’s emergence as a contemporary art capital began in the 1960s when the Arte Povera movement, centred largely on the city’s galleries and collectors, transformed Italian and European art. The subsequent decades saw the development of a dense network of public museums, private foundations, and commercial galleries that together constitute one of Europe’s most sophisticated contemporary art ecosystems. Organisations like For Esse Go International Art have grown within this context, building on Turin’s established international connections and its tradition of welcoming experimental and cross-cultural artistic practice.
What you see
Turin’s contemporary art scene is distributed across the historic city centre and beyond: the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea occupies a royal Savoy palace on the city’s western edge, while the GAM hosts modern and contemporary Italian collections in an elegant early 20th-century building near the river Po. The annual Artissima fair, held each November at the Oval Lingotto venue, brings together galleries from across the world for one of Italy’s most internationally attended art market events. For Esse Go contributes to this landscape through its own programme of exhibitions and international partnerships.
Cultural significance
Turin’s sustained investment in contemporary art — both institutional and private — has made it one of the few Italian cities able to rival Milan as a platform for international art discourse and market activity. Organisations operating in this environment benefit from and contribute to a cultural infrastructure that has given Italian contemporary art sustained visibility on the world stage since the mid-20th century.
Practical information
- City
- Turin (Torino), Piedmont, Italy
- Contact
- Check official website or social media channels for current exhibition information
- Nearby institutions
- GAM Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Castello di Rivoli
Getting there
Turin is served by Turin Airport (Caselle), approximately 15 km north of the city centre, with bus and rail connections. The city has a metro network and extensive tram and bus services. Turin Porta Nuova is the main railway station with high-speed connections to Milan (approximately 45 minutes), Rome, and other major Italian cities. Within the city, trams and the metro reach most cultural venues.