Contemporary art takes center stage in Florence once again, from September 28th to October 8th 2023

The third edition of Florence Art Week, the week dedicated to contemporary art, will take place in Florence from September 28th to October 8th 2023, featuring a rich calendar of events organized through collaborative efforts among the city’s foremost cultural institutions that are passionately devoted to contemporary art.

There are 29 cultural institutions involved, and 44 events will take place in 32 different locations. For over a week, Florence returns to being a privileged showcase to shed light on the best of contemporary artistic production.

Exhibitions

The event kicks off on September 28th with the opening of the exhibition at Palazzo Medici Riccardi titled Depero. Fantastic Cavalcade, which presents the work of Fortunato Depero, highlighting his artistic relationship with the Florentine territory. On October 6th, at the same venue, the Rinascimento + award ceremony will be held, an initiative supporting artists.

On September 30th, the monographic exhibition dedicated to Cecily Brown titled Temptations, Torments, Trials and Tribulation will open at the Museo del Novecento, featuring a series of unpublished works partly inspired by the Temptations of Saint Anthony, including a work attributed to Michelangelo Buonarroti. Also at this venue, the second part of Nico Vascellari’s grand project for the city of Florence, inaugurated last June with a solo exhibition at Forte Belvedere, continues with Mud.

On October 7th, the first monographic exhibition in Italy of the American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, titled Split Face, will be on display, comparing his painted portraits with Florentine Renaissance portraiture and the masters of Italian twentieth-century portraiture. Finally, also on October 7th, the exhibition organized by the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, Untrue Unreal, conceived and realized in collaboration with Anish Kapoor, opens to the public. This remarkable journey will immerse visitors in a blend of historical and contemporary works, including a grand installation specially designed for the Renaissance courtyard.

In addition to the events inaugurated during Florence Art Week, there are ongoing exhibitions such as Lisetta Carmi. Suonare forte at Villa Bardini, and Steve McCurry. Children, the first exhibition entirely dedicated to childhood by the famous American photographer, at the Museo degli Innocenti. Furthermore, Realtà e sogno. From Fattori to Guttuso at the Tornabuoni Arte spaces offers a fresh interpretation of the works of renowned figurative masters from the early twentieth century.

This is also an exceptional opportunity to to visit sites that will open exceptionally for the occasion, such as the Ferragamo Historical Archive, rich in photographs, videos, and drawings that tell the history of the company. It can be visited on September 30th and October 7th.

Performances and Concerts

In addition to visual art, the event will also feature a rich tapestry of performances, concerts, and theatrical productions. From September 28th to 30th, Many Possible Cities, the Festival of Urban Regeneration at Manifattura Tabacchi curated by LAMA Impresa Sociale, will host Ad dimora, a reflection on the first artist residency in the Florentine Mountains. This initiative explores the untapped potential of the picturesque Valdisieve region, in the municipality of Londa.

On September 30th, Villa Galileo organizes an open studio at the end of a research residency, where artists Maëva Ferreira Da Costa and Tina Salvadori Paz will respectively present Cosmogonic Orchestra and An Entangled Time Machine. On October 5th, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Cathy Berberian’s death, Frittelli Arte Contemporanea presents To Cathy. Teatro per voce, a concert by the young and acclaimed singer Ljuba Bergamelli, commemorates the quintessential “singer-actress” of the 20th century.

Finally, on October 7th, the Italian Historic Houses Association organizes the third edition of the Archives Day, providing an exclusive opportunity for free access to private and rarely accessible archives, encompassing around 40 unique locations scattered throughout Tuscany.