Last Week for Kurt Cobain & the Grunge Revolution Photo Show

Until October 18, 2020: COME AS YOU ARE: KURT COBAIN AND THE GRUNGE REVOLUTION.Palazzo Medici Riccardi.  Open daily 10:30 am – 6:30 pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.  Admission: €10/reduced €6, free for ages 17 and under.

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.  – Kurt Cobain

A celebration of Cobain’s life would be an understatement to describe this incredible selection of images—some of which have never been previously on public display—immortalizing not only his life and personality but also the artist’s enormous contribution in constructing an anti-establishment counterculture with instantly recognizable followers thanks to their street style/thrift store look.

The exhibition is separated into two sections, one of which contains photographs taken by Charles Peterson, the other by Michael Lavine. Charles Peterson, the official photographer of Sub Pop records, has contributed a series of images including shots of Nirvana’s early days as pioneers of the post-80s grunge scene in Seattle. Peterson’s photographic style is distinctively flash-heavy with mostly grayscale coloration that is shot in the midst of concerts and other grunge group events. His depictions of Kurt Cobain are infamously iconic for their depiction of the singer’s internal struggles that coincided with the success of Nirvana.

Given his close friendship with Cobain, Michael Lavine’s work is more personal. His portrayals detail Nirvana over the course of the band’s career – from formation to instantaneous success— that accompanied Cobain’s relationship with Courtney Love. The majority of Lavine’s work include candid photos of studio sessions and images of Nirvana commissioned for magazines.  Curated by ONO arte contemporanea in collaboration with the greater Florence Metropolitan Area and MUS.E, the show also includes images of other noteworthy grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney.  “Come as You Are” represents a distinct and integral part of music history that shaped a space for those resisting ubiquitous standards of “normality.”  (bianca zavala)