Participatory Outsider Art Exhibition Opens in Turin

An exhibition of irregular art, historically known as Art Brut and more recently as Outsider Art, is on view at Palazzo Barolo in Turin until April 30. The show, titled 'RE-PLAY. Esercizi per stare al mondo,' is organized by the Associazione Passepartout of the City of Turin's Social Services Division and supported by the Fondazione CRT. It draws from the Archivio Mai Visti Pinacoteca del Centro Arte Singolare e Plurale, a collection of paintings, sculptures, and videos primarily created by people with intellectual disabilities or mental distress. The exhibition is unique in that the curators are individuals outside the art world who participated in a workshop to interpret the works. According to project curator Lorena Tadorni, themes of repetition, seriality, and obsession emerged from the analysis. The exhibition also includes theatrical performances that add personal stories to the works. The venue, Palazzo Barolo, houses PARI, the Polo delle Arti Relazionali e Irregolari, a center for irregular arts that uses art as a driver of change, personal growth, public health, and social welfare. This is the first such center in Italy, though a similar space, Sic 12, recently opened in Rome.