Olfacta Art Fair: Turin's Provocative Olfactory Art Fair Launches in September 2026

Artist and herbalist Francesca Casale (born 1990 in Ciriè), under the alias Sensu, has founded the Olfacta Art Fair, a provocative event dedicated to olfactory art. Taking place from September 18 to 20, 2026, at EDIT Garden in Turin, the fair is organized by Casale's Associazione Olfacta and curated by Gianluigi Ricuperati. Ten artists and a network of independent collectives will transform the venue—with exhibition design by Maurizio Cilli for Nova Express—into an immersive environment where scents and olfactory traces interact with installations, performances, scientific research, and sensory design. The fair aims to challenge traditional art market dynamics by presenting immaterial, ephemeral works that resist collection and commodification. Casale describes the use of "Fair" in the title as a provocation that critiques commerce while mimicking a commercial event. An open call for artists is active until May 20, 2026. Collaborating institutions include Recontemporary, Spazio Barriera, Cripta 747, Phonetics, MAUTO – Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Almaty. A public program will explore topics such as the role of smell in exhibition design, art criticism, education, and technology, as well as practical questions of archiving and collecting olfactory works.