Criticism has long been levelled at the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Florence’s state-owned museums in particular due to their seeming reluctance to embrace and harness the power of social media.
While the outlook is still not exactly bright, a glimmer of light has broken through the cultural clouds with the launch of the Ministry’s crowdsourcing campaign as part of the nationwide A Night at the Museum venture. The aim is to garner public opinion on works of art posted on a dedicated website, so that culture lovers can have a say in which pieces are restored (see article).
In this issue, The Florentine explores the idea of art going viral through Facebook and Twitter campaigns put into action throughout Italy. In an effort to overcome cuts to the arts, Italians are taking culture into their own hands (see article).
We also take a look at the on-going Unstable Territory exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi (see article), which addresses the sensitive and topical themes of international boundaries and territorial identity, as the city gears up for the modern installations of the new Florence Biennale at the end of the month.
In Florence, famed for its past, contemporary art adds flashes of colour and originality as the skies become greyer and the days shorter.
