URBAN/T.S. Eliot Tribute November 21–December 5 Biblioteca Nazionale, piazza dei Cavallegeri 1, Florence
Fifty years following the famous essayist and poet’s death, Florence is paying tribute to T.S. Eliot, but adding a contemporary twist. The Biblioteca Nazionale will host an exhibition juxtaposing Eliot’s The Waste Land, a masterpiece of Modernist poetry, with works from current urban artists. Groups and names in the lineup include ExitEnter, Guerrilla Spam, Hopnn, Giorgio Bartocci, and Bue2530, among others. Though the grouping may seem surprising, the show reveals commonalities in Eliot’s divergent, provocative vision and the underlying principles of street art. The choice of the Biblioteca Nazionale as the venue is no accident: Eliot’s writing style, unbound by codes and conventions, and these artists’ fundamental values of free and critical thought, find a fitting home here. The show opens at 6pm on November 21 with a video screening and live music from Krishna Biswas, Stefano Brutti and Patrizio Castrovinci.
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work by Jessica Russo Scherr
CHARITY/Love Signs November 21 & 22
Giardino dell’Orticultura, Tepidarium del Roster, Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 17, Florence
Attend a greenhouse party for a great cause: an aperitivo, art exhibition and charity auction benefiting three different organizations, all dedicated to street safety awareness and supporting victims of auto and road accidents. The show, Segnali d’Amore (Love Signs), comprises original works from 12 different artists, all re-interpreting symbols from street signage, encouraging viewers to ‘read road signs with the heart.’ A free aperitivo kicks things off at 6pm and an auction of the works will follow. The art will remain on display in the tepidarium until 6pm on Sunday. The event is organized by the Claudio Ciai Foundation, the Gabriele Borgogni Association and the Lorenzo Guarnieri Association, and is a preview of an upcoming 2016 exhibition involving all three organizations.
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POP/Back to the 2000s!
November 21, 10pm Viper, via Lombardia (corner of via Pistoiese), Florence
A little alarmingly, the early aughts are now considered retro. The good news? Viper thinks it’s the perfect excuse to throw a giant theme party, taking you back to the days when Hey Ya! dominated the radio, Captain Jack Sparrow and Shrek first stepped onto the screen, and Gwen Stefani had just gone solo. Put on your peasant tops and shrugs, borrow a necktie to wear as a belt or try a Texan tuxedo tribute to Britney and Justin: there will be a photo booth for the occasion. Discounted pre-sale tickets are available here; call 347/1606599 for further information.
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CINEMA/Art on Screen Until November 22 Odeon Cinehall, piazza Strozzi, Florence
A celebration of art in film, Lo Schermo dell’Arte is back with some of 50 Days of International Cinema’s most diverse offerings. A highlight will be the premiere of Lisa Vreeland’s Peggy Guggenheim, Art Addict, which sheds light on the famous collector’s tastes and patterns; Vreeland will be present at the screening (November 21, 9.45pm). The poignant Afghan film Frame by Frame tells the story of four photographers who fought to reconstruct a free press for their country while under the pre-2001 Taliban regime (November 20, 10.15pm). Lo Schermo dell’Arte will also feature a Festival Talks series, which includes a roundtable discussion called Feature Expanded: Audience Development & Exhibition (November 20, 3.45pm, Strozzina). For the full festival experience,stop by the related video art exhibition at the Strozzina: VISIO. Next Generation Moving Images runs until December 20. See the festival program here.
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PRINT/Printed Matter
November 23–January 6 Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, via Bufalini 6
Go graphic! Stop in at the Sala delle Colonne at Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze to see the annual end-of-the-year showcase from international printmaking school and studio Il Bisonte. Printed Matter features work by 21 young Italian and international artists and engravers. Four of these are currently artists in residence at the school: Moataz Nasr (Egypt), Alain Reid and Lola Montes Schnabel (the United States), and Erman Özbaşaran (Turkey). A small selection of lithographs from noted Novecento masters like Ardengo Soffici, Henry Moore, and Lynn Chadwick will also be on display.
