Palazzo Scaglia di Verrua in Turin becomes spontaneous hub for contemporary art and culture

Palazzo Scaglia di Verrua, a 16th-century Renaissance palace in Turin with a rare frescoed facade, has organically become a center for contemporary art and culture. Located at Via Stampatori 4, the building survived Baroque renovations and WWII bombings. Since 2021, independent publisher Hopefulmonster has been based there, celebrating 40 years in 2026. Founded in Florence in 1986, it is now led by Beatrice Merz and Silvano Bertalot, with series including Pennisole, La stanza del mondo, and Echos. Galleria Giorgio Persano, a historic Turin gallery founded in 1970 as Multipli, also operates in the palace. It has represented major Italian artists like Michelangelo Pistoletto, Gilberto Zorio, Alighiero Boetti, and international figures such as Mario Merz, Jannis Kounellis, Sol LeWitt, and Lawrence Weiner. A recent solo show by Afghan artist Lida Abdul, "We do not want to become legendary because we'll disappear," featured photographs from Kabul (2005-2013). Galleria Simóndi will move to Palazzo Scaglia in September 2026, with an inaugural opening on Thursday, September 17, coordinated with the TAG gallery circuit. Director Francesca Simondi stated the new space aims to foster dialogue between past and present, memory and contemporary art.