Ecelectic Lectures on Gender Studies & Art History

This week brings two new talks to Florence by La Pietra Dialogues at NYU Florence as a part of their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion lecture series for Spring 2017, as well as an incisive look at Michelangelo’s David by an esteemed art historian at another school.  All three are in English.

On March 14 at 6 pm, Villa La Pietra at NYU on Via Bolognese welcomes Deborah Willis, Chair of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts, for her artist talk Reframing Beauty: Intimate Visions. The evening will focus on artists and photographers who are looking to the past to explore the idea of “framing beauty” in a complex society.  During a  conversation on politics, media, social injustices, and art, the lecture will ask the viewers to confront their own notions of beauty and the societal compartmentalizations of what real “beauty” is.

The next day, March 15 at 6 pm at NYU’s Villa Sassetti, Jack Halberstam, professor of Gender Studies and English at Columbia University, will give a talk Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Account of Gender Variability. This lecture will unpack the dichotomy of the new found widespread account of trans stories, trans rights, and trans legislation in the news and on mainstream media platforms, while also questioning “what price will be paid and by whom for this visibility.”

Reservations are required for both events. To save a seat, please email lapietra.dialogues@nyu.edu.

Also on Tuesday, March 14 (6 pm), the CEA Study Center in Piazza della Repubblica 6 kicks off their Spring 17 events with Robert A. Hatfield’s talk Michelangelo’s “Giant.” Hatfield is a Ph.D art historian who will discuss of influence of his archival findings on how Renaissance artworks, including the David at the Accademia, are viewed today. Hatfield has published findings on Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and Michelangelo’s mysterious finances.

Reception to follow, RSVP at mfrancioso@ceastudyabroad.com  (tessa lucia debole)