GAM, Turin’s Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, offers a different perspective on a city better known for royal palaces and the Egyptian Museum. Housed in a restrained modernist building on Via Magenta, the museum traces art from the nineteenth century to the present. Its civic collection has roots in the 1860s, making it one of Italy’s oldest public collections of modern art.
The holdings range from nineteenth-century painting and Medardo Rosso’s sculptures to works associated with Futurism, metaphysical painting and later experimentation. Particularly rewarding is the connection to Arte Povera, the movement that made Turin a centre of contemporary art in the 1960s. Artists represented in the collection include Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mario Merz and Giuseppe Penone; displays and temporary exhibitions offer a chance to see their ideas in the city where they took shape.
Allow at least two hours for the galleries and a browse in the bookshop. GAM is west of central Turin, within walking distance of Porta Susa station and served by nearby public transport. Check the official website before visiting for current opening hours, exhibitions and any changes to gallery access; if you plan to visit several museums, check whether the Abbonamento Musei pass suits your itinerary.