We’ll keep you
up-to-date on the latest and greatest in culture, music and more
English-friendly entertainment here in our Top Picks!
Enjoy Florence.
The Florentine Events/Culture Clash
June
9, Le Murate, 7 to 9pm
Join The
Florentine for a lively discussion about the topics that unite
and divide the Anglo and Italian residents of this city. Are Florentines as
‘closed’ as they are reputed to be? Does this affect expat life as well as
attitudes towards immigration? Why are Japanese restaurants trendy, but new
kebab stands banned in Lucca? How do our diverging attitudes towards work,
family and government affect the way we experience life in Italy? What
solutions can we offer to find a common ground in order to learn from each
other and better the city? TF managing editor Brenda Dionisi moderates a
discussion between Edoardo Lusena, journalist at the Corriere Fiorentino, and Deirdre Pirro, international
lawyer and columnist at The Florentine.
Free aperitivo to follow. Location:
Room with columns on first floor of the SUC at Le Murate. The courtyard is off
via delle Vecchie Carceri. For more information, write to events@theflorentine.net
or call 055/2306616.
Art/Notte del contemporaneo
June
11, Palazzo Vecchio and other locations
From 2pm to 2am,
Palazzo Vecchio opens its doors to contemporary art. This is the last day to see Damian
Hirst’s controversial piece, For the Love of God,
which is on display (free admission). From 5pm onwards, the Salone dei
Cinquecento will host talks by artists, gallery owners and others from the
world of culture. The evening’s Lectio Magistralis will be at 7pm by critic
Francesco Bonami. Beyond the walls of Palazzo Vecchio are special evening
openings at contemporary museums and galleries, including EX3 and Strozzina.
For further information, see http://www.comune.fi.it.
Future/Frontiers of
Interaction
June
20 and 21, Otel, viale Generale Dalla Chiesa 9
Italy’s best
‘geek’ event has chosen Florence for this year’s edition: two full days of
cutting-edge technology and how it applies to real, modern life. Have you ever
found yourself pondering such questions as what is the potential of humanoid
robots, why Mac computers are so appealing, or what one might do with all that
free data from Flickr? If so, this conference is for you. On the first day,
hands-on workshops allow you to work side by side with industry leaders to
develop your skills in social media, advertising, e-health and more. The second
day offers a truly exciting line-up of international speakers chosen for their
innovative projects and excellent communication skills. Music, food and
networking complete the circle. For more information and the complete program,
see www.frontiersofinteraction.com, and see our feature in TF 143 for an
interview with the event’s founders. The
Florentine, as media
partner, offers readers a 15 percent discount; email events@theflorentine.net
for your discount code.
Music and Art/Live!
Art meets rock
Until
August 7, Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art, Prato
The ultra-cool
Luici Pecci Center for Contemporary Art paired up with none other than Fender
and MTV to create this exciting exhibition, which tells the story of how
contemporary art and rock music worked together to shape the cultural universe
in the past 40 years. Paintings, sculptures, installations, video clips, LPs
(and their covers), photos and films will demonstrate that these two modern art
forms have been inseparable since their birth. The list of featured artists is
mind-blowing: From David Bowie to Bob Marley, the Sex Pistols to Pink Floyd,
David La Chapelle to Jean-Michel Basquieat, Robert Mapplethorpe and so many
more. For more information, see http://www.centropecci.it.
You can also
take the kids! Pecci Play Art
& Drink will allow
parents to sip a cocktail at an open bar while their kids ages 6 to 12 play in
a space reserved entirely for them; there, the kids can, among other
activities, learn to use their voices, colors and movement to describe the
works in sections of the exhibition. Children’s events are free (every Monday
from 5:30 to 7pm, from June 13 to July 25), and registration is recommended,
either by phone at 0574/531820 or by writing i.aiazzi@centropecci.it.
Photography/Harri Peccinotti
June
14 to July 4, Tethys Gallery, via Maggio 58r
Since the
1960s, Harri Peccinotti, an eclectic artist with erotic tendencies who set
trends, is best known for his shots of the female figure. One of the first
Italian photographers to use black female models, in 1968, his notoriety soared
when he published a photograph of a woman’s nipple, a famed calendar shot on
the island of Djerba. Today, he’s better known for his brightly colored photos
of female oral fixations. For more information, see http://www.tethysgallery.com.
Sculpture/Lorenzo
Bartolini, Scultore del Bello Naturale
Until
November 6, Galleria dell’Accademia
The first
exhibition dedicated entirely to the work of Lorenzo Bartolini, one of the most
influential figures in nineteenth-century sculpture in Italy, Europe and the
United States. Many of his most important commissions will be on display, such
as his busts of the Demidoff princes, Liszt, and Byron. The 70-plus works showcased demonstrate what Bartolini was best known
for: capturing the natural grace and beauty. For more information, see http://www.unannoadarte.it.
Out of town/Luminara
and Palio di San Ranieri
June
16 at twilight, Pisa
At twilight on every
June 16, the citizens of Pisa light nearly 70,000 candles in honor of San
Ranieri, Pisa’s patron saint, transforming the city into a sea of twinkling
lights for a tradition now called the Luminara di San Ranieri. Homes, palaces,
churches and towers on the banks of the Arno and its bridges are outlined with
candles that reflect on the surface of the water below. Candles are also
floated down the river, and the iconic Leaning Tower is lit with pans of
flaming oil. At 11pm, fireworks illuminate the sky, topping off celebrations on
the eve of San Ranieri. A wonderful way to spend a hot evening! For more
information, see http://www.comune.pisa.it (search ‘Luminara 2011′) and TF124.
If you can stay
another day, don’t miss the Palio di San Ranieri on
June 17, between 6 and 8pm,
in which four teams representing Pisa’s historic neighborhoods duke it out in a
boat race on the Arno. That evening is also the start of extended summer hours
for the Leaning Tower and the Monumental Cemetery in piazza dei Miracoli: from
June 17 to September 4, 8pm to 11pm (last tour departs at 10:30pm; guided tours
are offered on Saturday evenings; free entry to the cemetery with Tower entry
ticket purchase.)
