Granpalazzo Art Fair Moves to Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia for Third Edition

The third edition of Granpalazzo, an independent non-profit art fair, will take place at Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia, a Baroque palace designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and featured in Luchino Visconti's film 'Il Gattopardo'. Moving from its previous location at Palazzo Rospigliosi in Zagarolo, the fair continues its mission to rediscover historic Italian palaces outside typical tourist circuits. Twenty-seven galleries will each present a solo show by an artist, with works created site-specifically for the palace's rooms. The fair also debuts a performance program curated by three Rome-based organizations: Fondazione Baruchello, Fondazione Volume!, and smART-polo per l'arte. Performances include Gianfranco Baruchello's 'Adozione della pecora' (2016), where visitors lead wooden sheep through the palace; Italo Zuffi's 'Crescendo-Diminuendo (Sergio Ragalzi)' (2017), an audio installation recreating a vernissage's soundscape; and Roberto Fassone's 'Fox With The Sound Of Its Owl Shaking (unplugged)' (2017), a physical reinterpretation of 20th-century art history. The fair was conceived by Ilaria Gianni, Paola Capata, Delfo Durante, and Federica Schiavo. Organizers emphasize the informal, collaborative atmosphere and the challenge of staging a contemporary art fair near Rome, which has historically lacked a sustained fair. Granpalazzo operates without profit motive, focusing on the project's benefit for galleries, artists, collectors, and the public.