Turin, Italy, is filled with art museums and exhibitions, from Roman artefacts to contemporary works. While the city’s overall emphasis is on Baroque art and architecture, that’s not to say that it doesn’t touch the modern era as well. In fact, that’s the focus of the GAM, or Galleria D’Arte Moderna, one of my favorite museums in Turin.
What Is the GAM?
GAM is a museum dedicated to contemporary and modern art, housing an expansive permanent collection and several changing exhibitions. Founded in the 1890s, it is one of Turin’s foremost art museums. Read on to find out the current exhibitions (as of winter of 2024-25) and what you should know before you go.
Where Is It?
The GAM is slightly outside of Turin’s city center in the Crocetta neighborhood. However, don’t worry! It is incredibly reachable by public transportation and is very close to Porta Nuova, the main station, as well. Located at Via Magenta 31, it is right off of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II near the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (a giant statue in the middle of the roundabout). You’ll see the entrance by the tree branch sculpture, if not by the signs.
If you are taking the bus or tram, the Ferraris stop is the closest on one of the main streets (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II). Lines 7, 9, 15, and 68 all stop there, and the 55, 5, and 64 all stop nearby as well. By metro, Vinzaglio and Re Umberto are pretty much equidistant.
When Should I Go?
The museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday, from 10-6. The ticket office closes an hour before the museum closes, so at 5:00 pm. This holds true for tickets purchased at the museum and tickets purchased online.
It has never been too crowded when I’ve gone, so I would say that there probably isn’t a “best” time to go. I’d set aside about 1-1.5 hours for the museum if you would like to see the entire thing.
How Much Does the GAM Cost?
Prices at the GAM can vary significantly, depending on what you want to see. If you have the Torino + Piemonte card or Abbonamento Musei, everything is covered. Otherwise, there are separate prices for the permanent collection and temporary collections, which will be given to you as separate tickets. The employees take the stubs from these tickets at the entrance of each exhibition.
With that being said, the cost for the current exhibitions (according to the website, which is found here) can be broken down like this:
Permanent Collection
- Regular: 10 euros
- Reduced (ages 19-25 or 65+, groups of 15-25, people associated with partnering companies): 8 euros
- It is free for holders of the Abbonamento Musei, Torino card, or Passaporto Culturale; people aged 18 and under; accompanying teachers/tour guides; people with disabilities; and any other groups listed on the site.
Berthe Morisot Collection (Temporary Exhibition)
- Combined price with regular ticket: 18 euros
Mary Heilmann and Maria Morganti (Temporary Exhibitions)
- There is a one euro surcharge to the regular ticket.
It is recommended to book tickets in advance on weekends, but it is not necessary. I recommend checking at the museum or the website to ensure the prices haven’t changed and that you’re getting all the discounts possible!
Important Details
Because the ticket prices vary for the current exhibitions, I figured I’d break it down. Most of these exhibitions end in early March, so keep that in mind when planning.
- Floor -1: Maria Morganti: a good exhibition to learn about Venetian color. It focuses on color, space, and time. If you are not interested in abstract art and prefer art that focuses more on detail depictions of humans/nature, I’d recommend the Morisot and Deposito Vivente exhibitions.
- Floor -1: GRASSO: a very small exhibition focusing on the magazine GRASSO. I would describe this as pop/punk art. It was quick to view and represented a different genre than much of the other art displayed.
- Floor 1: Berthe Morisot: my favorite exhibition. Excellent staging, a wonderful description of the artist and her life, and a great collection of paintings. I learned a lot about her as a female painter in the Impressionist period, and I would highly recommend this to any visitor.
- Floor 1: Mary Heilmann: another exhibition that plays with light and color. It veered toward the abstract side and took inspiration from pop culture, including surfer culture, which was a nice reminder of home. This wasn’t a huge exhibition, but it was well done.
- Floor 2: Deposito Vivente: the museum’s permanent collection, arranged in an intimate walkthrough. The art spans throughout 19th and 20th centuries, and offers a wide array of themes for you to enjoy. Would recommend!
- There is also a permanent collection displayed on the first floor between the Heilmann and Morisot exhibitions (very enjoyable!), as well as an exhibition called SoundSilence in the Videoteca (I believe on the -1 floor), which I did not visit.
Reflections
Art museums are always such a treat, and the GAM is no different. My first time there, I was blown away by the sheer amount of art from the 1800s-1900s being displayed. At that time, most of it was from Italian artists, including some local artists, and it was a wonderful way of expanding my knowledge of the Italian art scene. Often, those of us who study the humanities only learn about the most famous artists. This was a great experience that shone light on some of the other nationally successful artists.
The Past Trip
This time, I thoroughly enjoyed the Impressionism exhibition. The staging worked very well with the Morisot paintings, and the way in which they were arranged—intended to feel like an intimate glimpse into someone’s life—was art in and of itself. The Heilmann and Morganti exhibitions made great use of space and color and were in the more modern/postmodern vein, offering a good balance. This is one of the things I appreciate most about the GAM: the fact that it displays art spanning from the beginning of the modern period to the present. Through the collection, curation, and attention to detail, it truly provides a comprehensive experience.
Highlights
One of the most unique parts of the museum was the “Deposito Vivente,” or “Living Depot” on the second floor. I’d never seen anything like this in a museum before, and it was beyond intriguing. Many of the same paintings I’d seen my first time, which were part of the museum’s permanent collection, were quite literally displayed in a depot-like setting on the top floor.
Unlike the perfectly curated exhibitions below, this one had a raw, behind-the-scenes feel—although I’m sure that it, too, was carefully curated. You get to see art stacked on shelves, in packaging, and tacked on walls. In some ways, it’s much more intimate, as it allows you to glimpse behind the curtain and see a little bit of how the museum functions.
A Final Word
If you have a few hours, I’d highly recommend the GAM. It’s one of my favorite museums in Turin. From Impressionism to Postmodern art, it really has everything and does an excellent job of retaining similar themes (i.e., light and color) while curating exhibitions so that everything feels cohesive. Especially if you enjoy art and museums like Museo del Novecento in Milan, this is an amazing place for you.
Have you been? Let me know what you thought!
