What does it mean for Palazzo Strozzi to have won the Apollo Awards for Best Exhibition of the Year 2022 for Donatello, the Renaissance exhibition, especially in light of your cultural strategy and after also winning the same prize in 2014 for Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino?
Receiving this recognition fills me with pleasure, also considering that the exhibition was nominated alongside projects at the MoMA in New York, the National Gallery in London and the Paris Museum of Modern Art. The award is confirmation of the quality of our efforts, which produce exhibitions that are capable of putting Florence at the forefront of the international cultural scene. The success of this major show is the result of Francesco Caglioti’s unparalleled curatorship, the core collaboration with the Bargello Museums and the generous support of some of the most important museums in the world, which enabled us to create a truly unique exhibition.
Do you notice a difference in visitors when you stage contemporary art exhibitions compared with shows that focus on more historical artists and movements?
Our exhibitions are aimed at everyone through different means of engagement, while always focusing on key values of inclusivity and accessibility. The 340,000-plus visitors in the last 12 months bear witness to this. The dialogue between ancient and the contemporary now runs through the veins of Palazzo Strozzi. It’s what has resulted in a major involvement of visitors aged under 30, while also retaining the attention of adults as we continue to seek new engagement strategies. For instance, in 2022 we simultaneously hosted the Donatello exhibition and the Let’s Get Digital project that focused on crypto art. This blend was a winning one, which was confirmed by the incredible public appreciation and participation.
What can you tell us about the forthcoming Reaching from the Stars exhibition? What’s the main message?
The exhibition proposes a selection of works from some of the most important contemporary artists, such as Maurizio Cattelan, Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman, William Kentridge and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, as we celebrate here in Florence 30 years of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection, one of the most prestigious contemporary Italian art collections. The project aims to explore the main artistic research conducted in recent decades, as well as creating a platform of contents and reflections on the world today. Through the perspective of over 50 artists from all over the globe, the exhibition is an opportunity to reflect on the present and future of art, giving back the variety, evolution and relationship with contemporary society in an open way.
Given the repeated successes of Palazzo Strozzi, in what way can the decisions made by museums have an impact on a city’s tourism strategies?
Quality, innovation and accessibility: these are the three words that represent our core values, which are fundamental as inspiring principles in striving to make a cultural institution relevant and truly contemporary. Palazzo Strozzi’s experience focuses on this direction. In particular, in a place of major cultural value like Florence, what matters is a cultural offering of an international caliber that is capable of making our city alive and attractive for quality tourism. That means that people not only come to Tuscany, but that these people return time and time again in pursuit of excellence, authenticity and creativity.
Palazzo Strozzi facts and figures
∙ Established in 2006
∙ 50+ exhibitions
∙ 3 million visitors
