American art at Palazzo Strozzi

Until 29 August, American Art 1961- 2001 at contemporary arts space Palazzo Strozzi is a journey through a multitude of artistic expressions— painting, photography, video, sculpture and installations—that reveal 40 years of American art, featuring Rothko, Warhol, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein, Levine, Opie, Kara Walker, and many more. Many of these works by famous artists are exhibited for the first time in Italy thanks to the collaboration with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

The exhibition presents an extraordinary journey through 53 iconic pieces by noted figures and from movements that have marked American art between two decisive historical moments, the beginning of the Vietnam War and the September 11, 2001 attacks. From Pop Art and Minimalism to Conceptual Art and the Pictures Generation, up to the most recent research of the 1990s and 2000s, central themes include the struggle for civil rights, discrimination, homophobia and feminism. Admiring the works at Palazzo Strozzi, we find ourselves reflecting on issues that are still current and of fundamental importance today.

The itinerary is divided into nine thematic sections, with particular attention given to key figures. In the first section, where Mark Rothko’s work titled No.2 invites observers to participate in visual and emotional contemplation, we immediately find one of the works featured on the exhibition posters: Andy Warhol’s renowned Sixteen Jackies dedicated to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy after JFK’s assassination.

The era of the Sixties is witnessed through works by masters such as Donald Judd, Bruce Nauman and John Baldessari, who became reference points for subsequent generations of artists to redefine the possibilities of art. Later artists continued to address topics such as the reframing of the male gaze in the work of Cindy Sherman; the appropriation of mass-media images by artists Richard Prince and Barbara Kruger, the denunciation of the stigma of AIDS in the work of Félix González- Torres; or the disquieting narratives of Matthew Barney, whose 1999 video installation Cremaster 2 is shown in an original setting for the first time in Italy.

A special focus in the exhibition is dedicated to artistic developments of the 1990s and 2000s interrogating American identity and featuring the work of such artists as Kerry James Marshall and Kara Walker. The exhibition is curated by Vincenzo Bellis (Curator and Associate Director of Programs, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center) and Arturo Galansino (General Director of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation).

The Museo Novecento, in piazza Santa Maria Novella, features pieces ranging from neon-light installations and acoustic experiments to Fontana’s famous slashed canvases, not to mention works by Vedova, Rosai, De Chirico, Casorati, De Pisis, Morandi and Sironi. The pieces are viewed in a radical environment, propelling visitors backwards through time from the nineties to the beginning of the 20th century. Boasting 300 works divided among 15 exhibition rooms, you’ll also find a studio, a cabinet of drawings and prints, and a conference hall. Multimedia stations, sound devices and video rooms accompany the many artworks, offering visitors a multi-sensory experience. A visit to the Museo Novecento concludes in a space that explores the image of Florence in international cinema.

The Marino Marini Museum, tucked away in the former San Pancrazio Church, is home to 180-plus sculptures, paintings, drawings and engravings by the Pistoia-born artist. While drawing up a restoration project for the renovation of the church, architects and the city’s administration decided to allocate the structure to cultural and social activities. The lofty spaces, the way the light falls and the impressive arches formed the perfect backdrop for the dynamism of Marini’s works: his riders, Etruscan goddesses, bronzes, concrete pieces, paintings and portraits.

Galleria Frittelli is one of Florence’s largest contemporary art spaces. Founders Carlo and Simone Frittelli opted for a Brooklyn mentality, setting up shop in the suburban Novoli district. Here, you’ll find Italian abstract art from the post-war era, analytical paintings, visual poetry and works by emerging artists. The gallery is also home to archives containing works by Pino Pascali, Gianni Bertini and Vinicio Berti. Back in central Florence, Eduardo Secci Contemporary, founded in 2013, links Florence’s old and modern worlds in evermore innovative exhibitions. Besides showing emerging and established contemporary artists, the gallery focuses on artists that employ numerous mediums for their work. The bright rooms are located a few steps away from the Arno.

Street Levels Gallery, in via Palazzuolo, is an urban gallery that explores the relationship between street art and the public. A meeting point for young creative talent, the space brings this underrepresented art form to the mainstream gallery world, creating a fascinating and stimulating dialogue between alternative art and the city’s history.

A former prison is now one of Florence’s most happening arts spaces. Murate Art District – MAD hosts temporary art shows, site-specific installations and artist residences, not to mention conferences, workshops and an array of outdoor concerts.

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