One of the most important events on Florence’s cultural calendar dedicated to Italian art is set to return with 80 galleries and 14 prestigious international participants. The 33rd edition of the Florence International Antiques Biennial will be housed on the banks of the Arno at Palazzo Corsini from September 28 to October 6.
Following a successful 2022 edition that attracted over 25,000 visitors, the 2024 iteration is expected to impress, showcasing the best in ancient, modern and contemporary Italian art. Since its inception in the 1950s, the biennial has solidified Florence’s status on the international art market.
Each collection on display is a testament to years of research, restoration and expertise. The high calibre lineup of international exhibitors and collectors features Dickinson, founded by Simon Dickinson (London), who discovered works by Botticelli, Titian and Rubens. Caretto & Occhinegro (Turin) and Romano Fine Arts (Florence) are returning to the fair. Lullo Pampoulides (London) and Rob Smeets (Geneva) will be debuting, as will be the Richard Saltoun Gallery (London and Rome), displaying a stand focused on three Italian artists who played pivotal roles in post-war Italian art: the minimalist Bice Lazzari, pioneering ceramist Franca Maranò, and acclaimed sculptor and painter Antonietta Raphaël. The Enrico Frascione Gallery (Florence) has been dealing in old master paintings since the late 1800s and has participated in the Florence Biennale since its first edition in 1959. One of the most unusual elements is a pair of miniatures by Venetian artist Antonio David, depicting portraits of Pope Clement XII (Lorenzo Corsini, 1652-1740) and his nephew, Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini (1685-1770), presented by Orsini Arte e Libri (Milan).
On the occasion of the fair, Museo Bellini, in the Oltrarno opposite Palazzo Corsini, hosts artworks by Aydan Uğur Ünal from September 24 to October 8, in an exhibition titled The Ancient Resonances of Istanbul. Around 30 artworks reveal the artist’s unique style, which he calls AydanSabb, guided by the philosophies of Leibniz and Deleuze.
Open daily from 10.30am to 8pm. Tickets are 15 euro and 10 euro reduced, via Ticketone.
