SetUp Contemporary Art Fair is a contemporary art fair which focuses its attention on emerging artists. Established in 2013, it is now celebrating its fifth edition. It takes place in Bologna during the art week, on the last week of January.
Setup means: “preparing the operations for the next start of a system”, and it indicates the fair’s intentions: ignite a new process to rethink the art system.
SetUp Contemporary Art Fair is the first and only fair designed to make interact the three key figures of the contemporary art establishment: artist – curator/critic – gallerist.
Our format asks exhibitors to present a curatorial project, with at least an under 35 artists combined with a critic text written by an under 35 curator.
SetUp Contemporary Art Fair nurtures dynamism, presenting itself as a cultural platform. Every year there are talks, round tables and editorials presentations organized in order to provide the opportunity to rear about the most interesting experiences on the contemporary art scene. There is an open comparison between the professionals with space for a performative exhibition and for other forms of expression; the projects of individual artists who have the tenacity to let themselves be questioned will be evaluated within the Special Project section.
SetUp Contemporary Art Fair is a project created and ideated by Simona Gavioli and Alice Zannoni
Why do we do all this?
In order to provide new horizons, in order to promote galleries that invests on emerging artists, in order to grew a new generation of collectors, in order to generate a virtuous short circuit between trade and culture, in order to increase the public and most of all because we believe in the possibility of creating a healthy cultural economy.

mpefm ITALY fair art press release