From Student to Director: Jonathan Paonetti on Shaping Florence’s Contemporary Scene

From Istituto Marangoni Firenze to the direction of Collezione Casamonti, Jonathan Paonetti talks about building a career in art, working alongside collector Roberto Casamonti and opening a new chapter for one of Florence’s major private collections.

Eyes on News

Too Sweet to Be True: When Cake Becomes Art
Too Sweet to Be True: When Cake Becomes Art
23/10/2026
Cakes, memories and the remains of a party: Piece of Cake turns the sweetest moments into...
Exhibitions
Matcha Is Everywhere. But What Are We Really Drinking?
Matcha Is Everywhere. But What Are We Really Drinking?
16/10/2026
Tea sommelier and art curator Yureeka Yasuda takes us beyond the matcha trend, exploring...
Lifestyle
James Franco: “Fame Gives You a Deceptive High”
James Franco: “Fame Gives You a Deceptive High”
09/10/2026
With Desert Films, James Franco brought Hollywood’s obsession with fame to the Teatro...
Photo & video
What Does It Mean to Be a Woman in Music Today?
What Does It Mean to Be a Woman in Music Today?
09/10/2026
Composer and pianist Giulia Mazzoni on being a woman in music, reaching a new generation...
Lifestyle
Fragmentation of the Self and Bodies in Pieces. Broken: The power of the Fragment at Palazzo Strozzi
Fragmentation of the Self and Bodies in Pieces. Broken: The power of the Fragment at Palazzo Strozzi
01/10/2026
From Michelangelo’s non finito to Justin Bieber in pieces, Broken. Il potere del...
Exhibitions
The Florence Creative Studio You Probably Haven’t Discovered Yet
The Florence Creative Studio You Probably Haven’t Discovered Yet
18/09/2026
Inside Lo Studiolo, the Florence creative studio exploring photography, art direction,...
Photo & video
Broken at Palazzo Strozzi: Why Florence’s New Exhibition Is All About What Remains
Broken at Palazzo Strozzi: Why Florence’s New Exhibition Is All About What Remains
18/09/2026
Broken at Palazzo Strozzi explores the power of the fragment through over 80 works, from...
Exhibitions
Meet the Young Photographer Turning Desire Into Images in Florence
Meet the Young Photographer Turning Desire Into Images in Florence
11/09/2026
Florence gets personal with Giulia Vezzosi’s La Mia Primavera, a photography show about...
Photography
5 Must-See Autumn 2026 Art Exhibitions That Remind Us Why We Need Darkness
5 Must-See Autumn 2026 Art Exhibitions That Remind Us Why We Need Darkness
28/08/2026
From Gregory Crewdson’s haunting photographs to Sophie Calle’s intimate explorations...
Exhibitions
5 Best Art Exhibitions in Florence and Tuscany to See in Autumn 2026
5 Best Art Exhibitions in Florence and Tuscany to See in Autumn 2026
07/08/2026
From Palazzo Strozzi and Centro Pecci to Palazzo Blu, discover the exhibitions making...
Exhibitions
Tuscany, But Not as You Know It: Inside G&A’s Off-Postcard Vision for Italy
Tuscany, But Not as You Know It: Inside G&A’s Off-Postcard Vision for Italy
24/07/2026
What happens when Tuscany is no longer seen as a postcard? Gioconda Rafanelli and August...
Photo & video
What Makes the Rainbow So Universally Powerful? 
What Makes the Rainbow So Universally Powerful? 
03/07/2026
A bridge of light, a sign of hope, a cultural code: the rainbow is never just one...
Digital art
Firenze Déco: The Art Deco Exhibition You Can’t Miss This Summer
Firenze Déco: The Art Deco Exhibition You Can’t Miss This Summer
03/07/2026
At Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a show revisits Florence’s Art Deco season through fashion,...
Exhibitions
The Art of Interpretation: Inside the Visual Archive of I’M Firenze Digest Magazine
The Art of Interpretation: Inside the Visual Archive of I’M Firenze Digest Magazine
11/06/2026
All artworks are created by art students who transform editorial content into images....
Digital art
GAMB: The New Network Connecting Florence’s Museums
GAMB: The New Network Connecting Florence’s Museums
05/06/2026
What happens when some of Florence’s most important cultural institutions start...
Exhibitions
Venice Beyond the Biennale 2026: 8 Under-the-Radar Exhibitions You’ll Actually Love
Venice Beyond the Biennale 2026: 8 Under-the-Radar Exhibitions You'll Actually Love
29/05/2026
From Erwin Wurm at Palazzo Fortuny to Lee Ufan in Piazza San Marco: 8 art exhibitions...
Exhibitions
Meet Bagasseria: Florence’s Raw New Art Space Everyone’s Watching
Meet Bagasseria: Florence’s Raw New Art Space Everyone’s Watching
22/05/2026
Located in the Sant’Ambrogio area, Bagasseria is a collaborative space founded by...
Exhibitions
Can We Ever Stop Performing Culture?
Can We Ever Stop Performing Culture?
08/05/2026
From Fuorisalone in Milan to everyday cultural events: when did participation become...
Exhibitions
Georg Baselitz’s AVANTI! at Museo Novecento Turns Painting Upside Down
Georg Baselitz’s AVANTI! at Museo Novecento Turns Painting Upside Down
30/04/2026
A pioneer of postwar German art returns to Florence with over six decades of...
Exhibitions
Best Books on Curating and Exhibitions Every Curator Should Read
Best Books on Curating and Exhibitions Every Curator Should Read
24/04/2026
A critical reading list of the best books on curating and exhibitions, from the history...
Publications
Florence 2026 Art Exhibitions: The Must-See Spring Shows
Florence 2026 Art Exhibitions: The Must-See Spring Shows
03/04/2026
From Rothko at Palazzo Strozzi to Toulouse-Lautrec at Museo degli Innocenti, Florence’s...
Exhibitions
When a Magazine Becomes Music: How d la Repubblica Turned 30 into a Sound Design Project
When a Magazine Becomes Music: How d la Repubblica Turned 30 into a Sound Design Project
03/04/2026
What happens when a magazine stops being read and starts being heard? For its 30th...
Publications
Inside Rothko in Florence: Color, Silence, and Emotion at Palazzo Strozzi
Inside Rothko in Florence: Color, Silence, and Emotion at Palazzo Strozzi
20/03/2026
In a city famous for Renaissance masterpieces, Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi...
Exhibitions
Rothko in Florence: Why the Exhibition Resonates with the City
Rothko in Florence: Why the Exhibition Resonates with the City
06/03/2026
What happens when the most introspective painter of the twentieth century meets the...
Exhibitions
5 Contemporary Textile Artists Redefining Fabric in Art
5 Contemporary Textile Artists Redefining Fabric in Art
06/03/2026
Textile art is no longer on the margins of the art world. Across Europe and Africa, a new...
Exhibitions
Vincenzo Agnetti in Florence: Conceptual Art and Language Like You’ve Never Seen
Vincenzo Agnetti in Florence: Conceptual Art and Language Like You’ve Never Seen
27/02/2026
Discover the mind-bending world of Italian conceptual artist Vincenzo Agnetti—painter,...
Exhibitions
The Must-See Art Fairs of 2026: Where the Global Art World Is Heading Next
The Must-See Art Fairs of 2026: Where the Global Art World Is Heading Next
06/02/2026
After strong signals at Art Basel Miami Beach, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year...
Exhibitions
Taipei Biennial 2026: The Artists Everyone Will Be Talking About
Taipei Biennial 2026: The Artists Everyone Will Be Talking About
30/01/2026
A must-see lineup of global artists shaping the conversation in 2026, from Gaëlle...
Exhibitions
When Art Fairs Go Viral: How TikTok Is Changing the Way We See Art
When Art Fairs Go Viral: How TikTok Is Changing the Way We See Art
23/01/2026
From immersive installations to GRWM videos, art fairs are becoming social-media-first...
Exhibitions
Women Artists and the Art Market: Breaking Records in 2026
Women Artists and the Art Market: Breaking Records in 2026
09/01/2026
After decades in the shadows, female artists are claiming top auction results and...
Exhibitions
2026’s Can’t-Miss Art Exhibitions in Italy: Your Essential Guide from Marina Abramović to Rothko
2026’s Can’t-Miss Art Exhibitions in Italy: Your Essential Guide from Marina Abramović to Rothko
27/12/2025
Art capitals like Venice, Turin, and Florence are always worth a visit — but in 2026,...
Exhibitions
Why Florence’s Rifugio Digitale is A Digital Art Experience Like No Other
Why Florence's Rifugio Digitale is A Digital Art Experience Like No Other
19/12/2025
Hidden beneath Florence, Rifugio Digitale reimagines a WWII bunker as a space for digital...
Digital art
5 Art Podcasts That Make the Art World Accessible, Controversial, and Totally Addictive
5 Art Podcasts That Make the Art World Accessible, Controversial, and Totally Addictive
12/12/2025
Whether you’re an art aficionado, a student, or just curious, these carefully curated...
Curating
How AI Is Transforming Digital and Multimedia Art: A New Creative Frontier
How AI Is Transforming Digital and Multimedia Art: A New Creative Frontier
05/12/2025
An interview with avant-garde artist Diemut Strebe on how AI is reshaping digital art —...
Digital art
Nan Goldin: This Will Not End Well – A Tribute to Her Sister
Nan Goldin: This Will Not End Well – A Tribute to Her Sister
28/11/2025
Focusing on the final installation, Sisters, Saints, Sibyls (2004–2022) – in Nan...
Exhibitions
The 5 Visual Artists Everyone Will Be Talking About After Lo Schermo dell’Arte 2025
The 5 Visual Artists Everyone Will Be Talking About After Lo Schermo dell’Arte 2025
21/11/2025
Lo Schermo dell’Arte’s 18th edition in Florence unveiled a fresh wave of artists who...
Digital art
KAWS at Palazzo Strozzi: The Installation Everyone’s Talking About
KAWS at Palazzo Strozzi: The Installation Everyone’s Talking About
13/11/2025
A monumental artwork by the KAWS turns smartphones into a modern annunciation. Two...
Exhibitions
5 Art Exhibitions in Tuscany This Autumn/Winter You Absolutely Can’t Miss
5 Art Exhibitions in Tuscany This Autumn/Winter You Absolutely Can’t Miss
07/11/2025
Florence may slow down with the cold season, but Tuscany’s art world never sleeps. From...
Exhibitions
Inside Alchemical Painting: The Art of Letting Go
Inside Alchemical Painting: The Art of Letting Go
31/10/2025
An intimate interview with Polina Stepanova, artist and teacher, exploring her alchemical...
Curating
Beato Angelico: Florence’s Must-See Fall 2025 Exhibition
Beato Angelico: Florence’s Must-See Fall 2025 Exhibition
03/10/2025
After a series of exhibitions devoted to contemporary art—including daring...
Exhibitions
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