OGR Torino Hosts Art Exhibition for COVID-19 Patients and Hospital Staff

The OGR (Officine Grandi Riparazioni) in Turin, converted into a field hospital during the COVID-19 lockdown to treat patients with mild symptoms, is hosting an art exhibition titled 'Contaminazione' starting June 24. The show is independent of the cultural center's regular programming and precedes the first anniversary of OGR Tech, an innovation hub by Fondazione CRT, celebrated on June 25 with OGR Brand New Day, a 12-hour event blending art and technology. Curator Cécile Angelini conceived the idea in February 2020, shortly after Italy's first COVID-19 cases, together with architect Sergio Mazzoni. The exhibition features 48 international artists—including architects, writers, poets, musicians, philosophers, and art professionals—who each created a one-minute video on the theme of contamination in art. Angelini describes 'artistic contamination' as hybridization across authors, currents, disciplines, genres, and materials, synonymous with freedom. The exhibition initially opened inside the field hospital with two projections: one in the red zone for COVID-19 patients and one in the yellow zone for hospital staff. A second outdoor projection for the public is planned, and a third public projection is being designed for a meaningful location to ensure accessibility. The collaboration began with enthusiasm from San Giovanni Bosco Hospital.