Vintage shopping, cultural events, and music are underway this week as the sun makes its way out from behind the clouds.
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The Florentine
Here’s our round-up for April 13-20
Vintage shopping, cultural events, and music are underway this week as the sun makes its way out from behind the clouds.
Cinema la Compagnia hosts a screening of Lorna Tucker’s documentary on the late British designer and activist Vivienne Westwood. Known as a trailblazer of the 20th century punk movement and outspoken environmental activist, this documentary takes an intimate glance at her life. Created with Westwood herself, the documentary allows for people to see the real Vivienne as she retells and, at times, laments the story of her life and road to icon-status. In light of Westwood’s recent death only days before the new year, this is an excellent opportunity for lovers and critics alike to witness who she was and the legacy she leaves behind.
In recognition of the fifth centenary of his death, the Museo del Cenacolo di Andrea dedicates a day of studies to the Italian religious leader Don Biagio Milanesi. He was an important figure in political-religious movements between the 15th and 16th century and this day promises a series of events dedicated to him. Included in these events are a number of speakers as well as a tour of the church and the San Salvi complex. Reservations are required to attend, to book a spot, please send an email to info@musefirenze.it or call 055-2768224.
For a unique vintage shopping experience, visit the Vinokilo vintage market. A great opportunity for a springtime wardrobe haul, this market is weight-based meaning that customers pay according to the amount that their items weigh. Scoring an amazing winter jacket for next year’s chilly months or a summery linen outfit has never been easier. This event is cashless so be sure to come prepared with a credit or debit card for payment. There is an option for a free ticket with a specific time slot for entry (limited quantities available) or a 3 euro option which allows for you to come whenever you’d like.
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Fondazione Italiana di Leniterapia hosts the Florence Vintage Market at the historic Palazzo Corsini. The seventh edition of this charitable market will promise a vast selection of high-quality vintage designer clothing, accessories, shoes and more. The central purpose of this vintage market is to raise funds for FILE’s charity work, which helps the seriously ill as well as their families. This market, which is held from 11am to 6pm on April 14, 15 and 16, is a great way to refresh your wardrobe for spring, while contributing to a good cause.
Recognized by BBC as one of the 100 most influential women in the world, Brazilian philosopher and activist Djamila Ribeiro joins The Recovery Plan on via Santa Reparata with a discussion. Ribeiro recently gave a keynote address on March 25 for the International Day in Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and comes to Florence to speak on her book: Little manual on anti-racism and feminism.
April 15
The Canada-born best-selling author Ross King speaks with Paola Vojnovic for a special zoom event. The two will discuss the Florentine Renaissance and its rediscovery of architecture and visual space. The minimum suggested donation is 20 euro and due to time changes, the hour of the event goes as follows: 10am Los Angeles, 11am Phoenix, 1pm NY & Toronto, 6pm London, 7pm Florence. If you would like to RSVP, please send an email to Paola50122@gmail.com.
More on Ross KingJoin Cinema Astra for a new talk series (in Italian) on films dedicated to the “baddest broads” in the movies. April 1 will focus on damning Disney antiheroines with a talk by Luca Malavasi, while film critic Pier Maria Bocchi leads a discussion on vampiresses, femme fatales and the iconic Marlene Dietrich on April 15. Check out Cinema Astra’s website for original language film showings.
A cultural showcase inspired by the documentary film Florence, City of Water, on April 2 from 3 to 6pm, participants can enjoy a guided walk along the Mensola stream, a tributary of the River Arno. As a celebratory wrap up of the events, Villa Il Palmerino will open up its garden for dance and video art on April 15 and 16. Choreography and poetry by Silvia Giordano promise an exciting and dynamic spectacle.
Spring cleaning season is here and it’s the perfect time to spruce up your wardrobe. Ditch the fast fashion sites for a more unique option and visit The Future is Vintage Market. Score clothes, jewelry, accessories and other vintage finds from a highly curated selection, while enjoying drinks, food, and music. Entrance is free, but reservations are required.
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Join the Cultural Salon for a special evening of music and fun at the B.east gallery. Check out their eclectic contemporary art collection, listen to live music and enjoy a delicious bite to eat. There is a 5 euro entrance fee with food and drinks available a la carte.
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Manifattura Tabacchi expands their horizons with new spaces dedicated to restaurants, cafes, stores, offices, artisanal workshops, and even a roof top garden. What was once an old tobacco factory is already one of the most innovative spaces in the city, working as an event space, art residency, and university campus for several years now. This new expansion morphs the multifunctional space into a true creative factory and a hub for creative culture.
Kicking off the artistic side of things, Manifattura Tabacchi hosts the works of Katja Novitskova, an internationally renowned Estonian artist. This exhibition is in part with the Reaching for the Stars exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi and is on display until June 18. Among other artistic efforts is the new B11 workshop, which has been transformed to house initiatives such as the Toast Project Space for contemporary artists.
Booker-nominated novelist Alison MacLeod joins the British Institute to discuss her new book with Simon Gammell. Tenderness is an ambitious, spellbinding historical novel about sensuality, censorship, and the novel that set off the sexual revolution. On the glittering shores of the Mediterranean in 1928, a dying author in exile races to complete his final novel. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a searing indictment of class distinctions, and a study in sensuality. But the author, D.H. Lawrence, knows it will be censored.
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Jeremy Boudreau explores the circumstances of Leonardo’s birth and lineage through a survey of entertaining tall tales and recently published primary documents concerning his family and earliest years in the Tuscan countryside. In person in the British Institute Library and online, via Zoom.
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Until April 23
Shaken or stirred? Florence Cocktail Week is back with the promise of meetings, masterclasses and events for spirits professionals and enthusiasts. Following Tuscan Cocktail Week (April 10-16), Florence’s focus will stay in bars and other establishments within the Tuscan capital. Bartenders throughout the city present original twists on classic beverages, while introducing new innovations and flavors to the world of cocktails.
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Artist Nicoletta Gatti hosts her first solo exhibition in Florence curated by Carlo Pizzichini. Her use of strong monochromatic colors and obscure layering create potent works that require time from the viewer to sit and ponder each piece. Her use of red, white and black, and even some green are meant to tie in with the natural elements.
For one of the cutest ways to welcome in the spring, visit this pick-your-own-flower farm with 300,000 tulips from more than 100 different varieties to choose from. We can’t think of a better way to get outside and spruce up your living room with a fresh handpicked bouquet.
Cuba-Born artist Enrique Martínez Celaya opens his sculpture exhibition Watching and Waiting at the Museo Marino Marini. Celaya originally comes from a scientific background and has experimented with several other art mediums such as photography, videography, and writing. He resides in Los Angeles and this is his first show in Italy. He will feature his sculptural works from 2005-2023.
National Geographic returns to Pisa’s foremost exhibition space for a major photographic show that revolves around the exploration of Planet Earth. Starting with a set of images that National Geographic’s photographers captured to document the beauty of our ecosystems, the show zooms in on what we know (and don’t know) about the planet where we live, as well as the human impact on the environment over the millennia.
Exhibition info
More than 50 works connected to the Gallery of Mirrors and Biblioteca Riccardiana will make up this major exhibition at Palazzo Medici Riccardi on Baroque master Luca Giordano (1634-1705). Expect a series of sketches on loan from the National Gallery in London as well as other important artworks from private collections in Europe and the United States, the Uffizi and the Opera del Duomo Museum in Siena, among others.
Exhibition info