Contemporary Art in Florence

A Night at the Museum with Ai Weiwei at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence

Posted on November 23, 2016 by fondlyfromflorence

Walking in the center of Florence today you cannot miss the facade of the Palazzo Strozzi.

Before entering the building Ai Weiwei’s installation begins to signal that you are about to see an exhibit unlike any that has been housed in this historic venue. The contemporary Chinese artist and activist has been allowed use of the entire building and museum, which is a first in its history. He is considered the most famous living artist in China, and many think the world.

This is an exhibit that requires you to look beyond the objects that he uses, into their metaphorical meaning. These are not just rubber life boats that are hung on the Strozzi but rather a loud statement of the plight of immigrants today.

His statements, which are enlarged and displayed in the lower level Strozzina gallery are provocative.

His statement,”Everything is art. Everything is political” gives us a deeper meaning into the title of his exhibit: Libero/Free.

950 bikes are “stacked” symbolizing the freedom that allows the Chinese people to be mobile; the freedom to move about.

Some of the display rooms are covered in wallpaper designed by Weiwei. In the photo of a section of the wallpaper you see that he has made a statement against censorship. Note the surveillance cameras with the Twitter symbol in the middle.

“If we didn’t have this technology, I would be the same as everyone else I couldn’t really amplify my voice”

A most chilling installation is”The Snake Bag”, created after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where thousands lost their lives. 360 identical backpacks are stitched together in memory of the school children lost there. (a strong protest against the Chinese government, which tried to cover up the scandal of unsafely constructed buildings.)

How is this food for thought: He Xie, river crabs, created in 2011. As a response to the government destroying his art studio Ai Weiwei invited guests to a banquet where he served river crabs, the symbol of tyranny. This installation is made up of hundreds of porcelain river crabs

Ai Weiwei also revisits the Italian Renaissance paying homage to the political dissidents of that era, Dante, Savonarola, Galileo and Filippo Strozzi. The Palazzo was built by Strozzi after he returned. He wanted to build a bigger palace to show them!

Below, Dante designed in Legos!

The artist, breaking a 2,000 year old Han dynasty urn rendered in legos:

Personally, to have seen this exhibit in a time of political turmoil in my own country was sobering, yet hopeful.

The exhibit is on untill January 22, 2017.

If in Florence do not miss it.

How Twentieth Century Art Found Its Place in Renaissance Florence

Posted on March 2, 2015 by fondlyfromflorence

If you are lucky enough to be in Florence this first week of March and have not yet seen the exhibit “Spotlights on the Twentieth Century” you have one week to get to the Gallery of Modern Art at the Pitti Palace. This is a not to be missed collection of art that up until now had been designated to depositories due to lack of space at the museum.

In November of 2014 Fondly from Florence highlighted some of the newer venues that celebrate Contemporary art. https://fondlyfromflorence.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=484&action=edit

The Gallery of Modern Art has existed at the Pitti since 1924. The Accademia Gallery in Florence had housed in some of it’s rooms the Italian Impressionists or Macchiaioli which could be said then where the pioneers of the contemporary movement back in the mid nineteenth century. This exhibit has been assembled to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the foundation created to ensure a designated place to show modern art in Florence.

The Gallery of Modern Art is a museum within a museum at the Pitti.

Here a look at the Pitti complex

Many of the paintings at the current exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art are works that had been acquired at the Venice Biennial between 1925-1945. Works were also donated or acquired from important art shows in Rome. The Premio del Forino award also provided an avenue to obtain contemporary art for the museum.

The following important artists of the Macchiaioli are Giovanni Fattori and his Maremma Toscana.

Telemaco Signorini’s Rooftops at Riomaggiore

The bar Giubbe Rosse, that is still in the center of Florence today, was a meeting place of artists all during the 20th century.

Here we have Carlo Levi “Narciso” 1965

At the Novenceto museum many works were donated to Florence after the devastating flood of 1966 to rebuild the contemporary art collection.

In the permanent collection of the Novocento musuem one can view

Giorgio Morandi

and

Giorgio de Chirico

I would be remiss if I did not list the Marino Marini Musuem as a wonderful space to view 20th Century art.

The museum is housed in the ancient church of San Pancrazio. Here the works of Marini are displayed in the space created especially for him in 1988. A great space to view the large sculptures of Marini.

It is inspiring to see how all genres of art are valued in Florence and how creative the Florentines have been throughout history to ensure a home for these treasures.

Categories: Contemporary Art in Florence | Tags: Contemporary Art in Florence, Gallery of Modern Art at the Pitti, Italian Impressionists, Marino Marini, Novecento Museum, the Macchiaioli | 2 Comments

Contemporary Art in Florence

A Night at the Museum with Ai Weiwei at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence

How Twentieth Century Art Found Its Place in Renaissance Florence

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