The first edition of Olfacta Art Fair, a provocative art fair dedicated to scent, will take place from September 18 to 20, 2026, at EDIT Garden in Turin, Italy. Conceived by artist and herbalist Francesca Casale (born 1990) and her association Olfacta, the fair features ten artists and independent spaces under the curatorial direction of Gianluigi Ricuperati, with exhibition design by Maurizio Cilli. The event transforms the venue into an immersive environment where smells, emanations, and olfactory traces interact with installations, performances, scientific research, and sensory design, challenging traditional notions of art as a collectible object.
This initiative matters because it critically examines the commodification of art by simulating a commercial fair format while presenting inherently unstable, immaterial olfactory art that resists collection and preservation. By doing so, Olfacta Art Fair opens up questions about new cultural economies, the role of smell in contemporary art, and the future of perception and artistic fruition. The project also engages local institutions such as Recontemporary, Spazio Barriera, Cripta 747, Phonetics, MAUTO – Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Museo della Frutta, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Almaty, fostering a dialogue on archiving, collecting, and educating through olfactory art.