Italian Health Authorities Are Transforming One of Turin’s Top Art Venues Into a Temporary 100-Bed Hospital

Crisis coordinators in Italy are moving forward with the
construction of a temporary field hospital in the Officine Grandi
Riparazioni, a popular cultural venue in Turin that last
summer hosted the Biennale of Moving Images.

The venue, which is commonly known as OGR and was founded by the
CRT Foundation, will hold 100 hospital beds for patients
recovering from COVID-19 who are in need of semi-intensive therapy,
according to La
Reppublica. Respirators and other equipment will be
brought in for what is expected to be the next four months to
relieve crowded intensive-care units at hospitals across Italy.

The building that houses the OGR was originally constructed
as a factory in the 19th century and was acquired by the CRT
Foundation in 2013.

“Two years ago, we redeveloped the OGR with the specific
objective of looking to the future,” CRT Foundation general
manager Massimo Lapucci told Artnet News via email. “Even today, in
making [the space] available to the community [as a temporary
hospital]—as has happened in the past for historic places such as
the Hermitage and the Quirinale on other difficult occasions—we
honor the OGR’s original mission with the firm belief that, once
the current difficulties are overcome, the OGR will return to
repair art, culture and innovation.”

Artists including Liam Gillick, Mike Nelson, and Hannah Black
have had exhibitions and performances at the venue. Italian artist
Monica Bonvicini’s exhibition “As Walls Keep Shifting,” closed at
the space in February.

“The time will come back when creativity and innovation will be
indispensable to start again and we will be there again,” Gianaria
told the Agenzia
Italia.

As of Friday morning, Italy had nearly 14,000 deaths due to the
coronavirus. The northern part of the country, which includes
Turin, has been especially hard hit.

The post Italian Health Authorities Are Transforming One of
Turin’s Top Art Venues Into a Temporary 100-Bed Hospital
appeared first on artnet News.