Four Florence Art Shows Not to Miss
Reminiscent of a scavenger hunt, exhibitions that the art lover can’t miss allow one to follow a trail in and around downtown Florence. Some such as Ytalia and 1927: Ferragamo’s Return to Italy draw immediate attention while others – Italian Hours and The Factory of Beauty: Ginori and His Statues – beg to be discovered. The following is an eclectic guide to this season’s best.
CONTEMPORARY ART
The scale of YTALIA: Energy, Thought, Beauty, It’s All Connected, a retrospective of Italian contemporary art open through October 1, is truly spectacular. It comprises eight spaces: Forte Belvedere; the Boboli Gardens; Pitti’s Palatine and Modern Art galleries; Santa Croce; the Marino Marini Museum; and the Uffizi.
This choice highlights the juxtaposition between the historic city center and the desire to show Italy’s blossoming contemporary art scene. Furthermore, it unifies these two elements into one collective history, past and present.
The show, which includes exhibits by Mario Merz, Giovanni Anselmo, Jannis Kounellis, Luciano Fabro, Alighiero Boetti, Giulio Paolini, Gino De Domeinicis, Remo Salvadori, Mimmo Paladino, Marco Bagnoli, Nunzio and Domenico Bianchi, takes its name from a citation of the great artist Cimabue (1240 -1302) who wrote “Ytalia” in the corner of one of his compositions.
The theme “Energy, Thought, Beauty” is meant to orient the visitor when interrelating with the variety of pieces on display while “tutto è connesso” (all is connected) highlights the duality between old versus new and exterior versus interior. There is something for everyone thanks to the variety of mediums utilized.
Each of the 100 works also interacts in some way with its historic surroundings.
Some even alter the classic sites of Florence, such as Gino de Domincis’s massive 24-meter-long sculpture of a skeleton entitled Calamita Cosmica (Cosmic Magnet) from the 1980s, poised between the earth and the sky. This installation gives a new perspective on the classic view of the Duomo from Forte Belvedere.
Another particularly charismatic exhibit is Igloo (1991) by Mario Merz, which stands in the middle of a dimly lit room. Contrary to the belief that igloos can only be made from ice, this work is made from thin slabs of stone held together with industrial ties. Highlighting humanity’s primitive past, the viewer can walk around the work but not go inside. On the other end of the spectrum, Alighiero Boetti primarily works in textiles and is inspired by colorful Afghan embroidery.
Artist Remo Salvatori utilizes geometric symbols that recall the Renaissance philosophy of the circle (celestial) and the square (terrestrial). This is particularly evident in Continuous, Infinite, Present, constructed from steel cable. Like nesting dolls, the loops have no beginning or end and, moving inwards, become progressively thinner and smaller.
Each of Domenico Bianchi’s Eleven Benches installed at Forte Belvedere is constructed from a different type of marble or stone. They are arranged in a circle, which invite visitors to sit, reflect and create a community space.
A sleeper, Italian Hours (until June 18) is the perfect way to experience contemporary art that directly reflects the beauty and history of Florence. Hosted by the Dutch University Institute for Art History (NIKI Florence) nestled on viale Torricelli, most were produced by Ramón Van der Ven during his time as Artist in Residence.
Following in the tradition of plein air, or outdoor painting, Van der Ven is able to capture the instantaneous and impermanent beauty around him. This rejection of studio painting and the use of photography lend his compositions a lifelike and fresh quality. While there are a variety of subjects on display, ranging from landscape to portrait, all of them catch a specific moment.
Due to his naturalist approach, the artist manages to instill a feeling into each individual piece whether the heat of a summer afternoon, the shade of a city street, or the sound of waves crashing on a beach. A sensory experience is achieved through his use of color, light, and the physicality of his brushstrokes. Hours: 9 am – 1:30 pm, 2:30 – 5:30 pm, free admission. (madeleine greaves)
HISTORICAL ART
The Factory of Beauty, at the Bargello museum up to October 1, is the first exhibition in Italy of porcelain sculptures from the Doccia factory. Established outside of Florence in 1737 by the Carlo Ginori, the workshop in Sesto Fiorentino (which became known as the famous Richard Ginori firm in 1896) contains the oldest working porcelain manufacturer in Italy.
Ginori bought models from late Renaissance and Baroque sculptors to use as forms to commission porcelain recreations of the designs. The talent and refined expertise of the workshop artists has created a legacy of exceptional sculptures.
Due to the unfortunate closure of the Doccia Museum in May 2014, the numerous figures no longer have a home. The Factory of Beauty: Ginori and His Statues is designed to keep the focus on the incomparable heritage of the shining pieces, displayed in the company of their Renaissance and Baroque marble, stone and bronze counterparts.
Compiled in the two-room show are the highlights of the Ginori collection. As guests enter the first room, the soft faces of Venus greet them. The 18th century bronze copy of the Venus de’ Medici sits next to Gasparo Bruschi’s shining white porcelain edition.
Shimmering in light behind the first Venus is the Ginori Temple: dominating the piece’s central niche is a representation of the Greek allegory of Time Abducting Beauty.
At the Temple’s bottom corners are depictions of the four Cardinal Virtues, and the work’s balcony seats the three Fates and Time. Two porcelain lions roar above them, while a Mercury figure, modeled after Giambologna’s winged god, floats on one foot at the top. Flanking either side of the Temple is both a bronze and wax version of Giambologna’s Mercury.
The grand finale is the monumental porcelain fireplace – a one-of-a-kind triumph of skill and ornamental refinery. Recreations of Michelangelo’s Dusk and Dawn sit tranquilly atop the carefully crafted porcelain molding.
Over at the Ferragamo Museum, 1927: The Return to Italy (through May 2, 2018) embodies all the outrageous and bold qualities of the 1920s that modern fashionistas still love: glitz, glamour, empowerment, and a beautiful pair of heels.
2017 marks 90 years since Salvatore Ferragamo’s return to his home country of Italy after over a decade of honing his craft in Hollywood. Room 2 places the exhibition in context with paintings of scenes in Florence during the early 20th century.
After WWI, the female figure became liberated from the sole identity of mother and child-bearer and championed herself as a figure in society, literary circles, and sports competitions. There is a gorgeous selection of women’s day and evening wear, and even portraits of famous women like Luisa Casati and Paola Borboni. The spirit of the era that is expressed is perfectly complemented by period artworks and installations of Ferragamo footwear. (tessa lucia debole)
