Allemandi Returns to the Salone del libro and Toasts to Culture at the Gallerie d’Italia
More than just a cocktail party, it was a manifesto. To celebrate its major return to the Turin International Book Fair—after more than a decade of absence—the historic publishing house Allemandi chose the elegant spaces of the Gallerie d’Italia for an event with a seductive title: The Night Before. The rendezvous in the heart of Piazza San Carlo, home to the Gallerie d’Italia in Turin, brought together many familiar faces from the worlds of art, culture, and publishing. Say Who was there to capture the evening, photographing, among others, Umberto Allemandi, artist Carrie Mae Weems (currently on show at the Gallerie d’Italia), Luigi Cerutti, Enzo Ghigo, Michele Coppola, Luca Zuccala, Sara Cosulich, and Luigi Fassi.
But the toast that evening was only the beginning—the “night before,” as it were. At the Oval Lingotto, Allemandi returns with a 50-square-meter stand designed by exhibition designer Andrea Isola. There’s no shortage of editorial news: essays, monographs, exhibition catalogues, and hidden gems resurfaced in the “Il piacere di scegliere” section. On display are also publications in collaboration with Gallerie d’Italia—from Jess T. Dugan to Olivo Barbieri—and two eye-catching previews: Jeff Wall. Fotografie and Le cronache di Napoli by JR.
Meanwhile, the publishing house also presents its new Bookshop Allemandi inside the Gallerie d’Italia: a physical and symbolic space, open to scholars and the curious alike. At the same time, Il Giornale dell’Arte now makes its full archive available online: 460 issues and over 200 inserts, totaling 55,000 searchable pages—thanks to meticulous digitization carried out in collaboration with the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. In a Turin that’s once again speaking the language of books, Allemandi is starting from itself. And doing it in style.
Photos: Alessio Ammannati
Text: Germano D’Acquisto
