By Giulia Piceni. Cover image: Maurizio Cattelan, La rivoluzione siamo noi, 2000. Courtesy Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Exhibition view: Reaching for the Stars: from Maurizio Cattelan to Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Palazzo Strozzi. Courtesy of Palazzo Strozzi. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio.
May is such a special month in every student’s life (and I guess every tutor’s).
Nice weather, sunny days, and the summer coming: can you feel any more energised than this?
The smell of warm sand starts to permeate the mind, and throwing away books and driving towards the relaxing atmosphere of the seaside is more appealing than the heat on a tourist-crowded Ponte Vecchio.
Sitting all day at the desk trying to get through that essay you have to send in a few weeks can be frustrating: for those coping with this syndrome called “End of the Semester Unwillingness”, going out and attending inspiring events is the right cure.
But what if I tell you that in this gem of a city called Florence, you can still have fun while keeping up with cultural events? Here is what you shouldn’t miss this month.
Disclaimer: the list is art-lover-approved.
1. A TU PER TU CON MAURIZIO CATTELAN, PALAZZO STROZZI
On May 5, you can meet the artist Maurizio Cattelan who will sign a limited number of copies of Index: a comprehensive collection of the artist’s interviews. The book signing will follow a conversation with Arturo Galansino, Director of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Roberta Tenconi, Chief-Curator of Pirelli HangarBicocca. Don’t be shy and book your presence to meet a true art star.
LINK
May 5, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Booking required.
Piazza degli Strozzi, Florence
2. ARTIST TALK: GIULIA CENCI WITH STEFANO COLLICELLI CAGOL, PALAZZO STROZZI
After her unforgettable open-air corridor dead dance at the Arsenale in last year’s Venice Biennale, Giulia Cenci is a special guest at Palazzo Strozzi for a conversation with Stefano Collicelli Cagol, the General Director of Centro Luigi Pecci. Since her work was featured in the latest exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi and, recently, even at SpazioA in Pistoia, this seems like the perfect month to discover the artist’s sombre vision.
LINK
May 8, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Piazza degli Strozzi, Florence
3. HAYLEY EICHENBAUM, THE MOTHER ROAD AT RIFUGIO DIGITALE
A psychedelic voyage on Route 66 made of acid colours and geometries referencing science fiction and the American epic of the 50s. With a surreal touch reinforced by her education using 3D tools, graphics and sculpture, Hayley Eichenbaum will narrate through The Mother Road exhibition the technicolour story of the American landscape at Rifugio Digitale. Don’t miss the chance to encounter this colourful world and get ready to experience your “Livin’ in the USA”fantasy!
LINK
May 4 – May 21
15, Val di Marina, Florence
4. OLTRE LO SCHERMO, GALLERIA ISOLOTTO
Sometimes artists need to regress to the first years of their lives to achieve a more instinctive approach to their practice. On the contrary, children have the priceless ability to make it come out naturally. The exhibition Oltre lo Schermo masterfully showcased this behaviour. For the occasion, Galleria Isolotto will display two audiovisual products developed by elementary school children titled Ciak&Play and L’isolotto che non c’è thanks to the coordination of Lo schermo dell’arte Film Festival. Last (but not least): Roberto Fassone and Giacomo Raffaelli, tutors at Istituto Marangoni Firenze, coordinated the work for the second project. What better way to appreciate their work than visiting the exhibition during the opening this Friday afternoon?
LINK
May 5 – May 21. Opening on May 5 at 4:00 pm
26c, Via Mortuli, Florence
Giulia Piceni is an Arts Curating undergraduate student at Istituto Marangoni Firenze.
