The Phair: New Photography Fair Launches in Turin with 15-Minute Web TV Talks

The Phair, a new boutique photography fair in Turin, opened at the former Borsa Valori on via San Francesco da Paola, launching the city's first photo week. Conceived by Roberto Casiraghi and Paola Rampini, founders of Artissima and The Others, the fair features 35 Italian galleries with international reach, nine of which participated in Art Basel. The fair's focus is on the 'photographic' and its hybridizations with other languages, as stated by Luca Panaro, critic and professor at Brera, who coordinates the advisory and selection committee. The committee includes Lorenzo Bruni, Alessandro Carrer, Cristiana Colli, Giangavino Pazzola, and Carla Testore. A web TV streams 15-minute talks on site and online. The minimalist installation resembles a book layout, with mostly monographic stands: Galleria Alfonso Artiaco of Naples presents Anri Sala exploring video, sculpture, and photography; Galleria Continua of San Gimignano shows Giovanni Ozzola's images of bunkers in the Canary Islands; Franco Noero of Turin displays four Robert Mapplethorpe prints. Casiraghi emphasized that galleries participated due to relationships and belief in Turin's photography scene and art system.