CONCERT/Spandau Ballet March 28, 9pm Nelson Mandela Forum, viale Malta 6, FlorenceWebsite
The British New Wave is back in Florence. More than 30 years after its heyday, Spandau Ballet’s 1983 single ‘True’ is still a favourite ‘throwback tune’ on the international airwaves. But the group isn’t just a one-hit wonder: Spandau Ballet had eight albums achieve Top-10 status in the United Kingdom. The Mandela Forum concert is one of five performances in Italy on their Soulboys of the Western World tour. For more information and to purchase tickets (available until March 27), visit the Mandela Forum’s website.
EXHIBITION/On the Road Until June 21 Museo Nazionale del Bargello, via del Proconsolo 4, Florence Website Mass movement was a major element of medieval civilization—from travel and trade to pilgrimage. The Middle Ages on the Road, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Bargello’s foundation as a museum, explores this theme through a series of maps, artworks, travel items and everyday objects. Through its focus on movement, the show sheds light on the impact of war, the centrality of faith, and how the world as a whole was represented and understood.
THROWBACK/‘90s Night! March 28, 10.30pm Viper Club, via Pistoiese (corner: via Lombardia), Florence Website It’s time to dig out your Doc Martens, dust off your nineties neon and revive your Tamagotchi. The ‘90s are back in full force at Viper Club! Celebrate pop culture icons from Kurt Cobain to Kelly Kapowski. From alt-rock to grunge to the teen pop that took over at the end of the decade, expect something to suit all musical tastes—Spin Doctors, Spice Girls, Depeche Mode, Britney Spears, The Offspring and one-hit-wonders (remember Eiffel 65 and Natalie Imbruglia?) are all on the musical menu. For more information and to pre-purchase tickets (8 euro), click the link above.
CINEMA/Korea in Florence Until March 30 Odeon Cinehall, piazza Strozzi, and various venues in central Florence Website More than just a cinematic event, the Florence Korea Film Fest explores all aspects of Korean culture. Beyond the many movies worth catching, this week in particular is packed with exciting concurrent events: Caffe Florian is putting on ‘Florian Korean’ fun, including aperitivi with director Shim Sung-bo (7.30pm, March 28) and producer Lee Joon-dong (7pm, March 29). Le Murate is also hosting a New Media Art exhibition, organized in collaboration with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. To view the full program of events and film screenings, see the festival website.
SPORT/Fight Club March 29, 9pm Teatro Obihall, lungarno Aldo Moro, Florence Website ‘The first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club’—at least in the movie. But even Tyler Durden would have trouble keeping quiet about a mixed martial arts show in Florence. The Obihall is hosting ‘Fight Club: Fight or Nothing,’ the preliminary matches for the MI Global tournament, which will take place in Russia in July 2015. Athletes from Italy, Romania, France, Russia and more will face off in the ring. Tickets are available from the Obihall website.
CLASSICAL/Power and PathosUntil June 21Palazzo Strozzi, piazza Strozzi, FlorenceWebsite
A must-see exhibition of 50 bronze treasures of the Hellenistic world. The Hellenistic period was an important turning point in classical art as sculptors began adding more expressive elements to their work. Organized in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the National Gallery in Washington D.C., the exhibition hosts masterpieces from major world museums. For more information, visit the Palazzo Strozzi website.
