Florence again this winter offers a rich program of exhibitions to see.
The city hosts exhibition events that embrace works by historical and contemporary artists, creating a fascinating blend of past and present.
In this article, we will explore the exhibitions that will capture the attention of visitors and residents alike, providing a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in beauty and creativity.
Let’s find out together which exhibitions are a must-see.
The exhibitions at Palazzo Strozzi
This winter, Palazzo Strozzi offers art lovers, numerous top-notch exhibitions.
On view until Jan. 26, 2025 is the exhibition “Helen Frankenthaler”, the famous artist who developed a unique approach to abstract painting.
Frankenthaler’s works, created with the “soak-stain” technique, are rich in achieving extremely fluid and natural shades and color combinations.
The artist focused exclusively on the expressive power of color, which becomes the absolute protagonist of the composition, freeing itself from recognizable figures, landscapes or objects.
Also through Jan. 26, 2025, Palazzo Strozzi presents a spectacular site-specific installation in its majestic Renaissance courtyard.
The fascinating work “Shy Society” is created by the celebrated Dutch duo DRIFT, artists internationally known for their innovative installations, works and performance projects that uniquely combine art and technology.
Through the use of state-of-the-art materials and cutting-edge technological solutions, the installation invites the public to immerse themselves in a sensual and immersive experience that can provoke deep reflections on our relationship with the natural environment and the architectural context around us.
From March 8, 2025, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence will present the first major solo exhibition dedicated to British artist Tracey Emin in Italy.
Emin, is celebrated for her provocative works in which her own life, with all its joys, sorrows and frailties, is inextricably merged with her artistic pursuit.
Through a wide range of disciplines, including drawing, painting, sculpture, video, installation and photography, Emin explores universal themes such as the human condition, interpersonal relationships and personal identity.
His work is distinguished by a strong centrality attributed to the body, understood not only as an instrument of expression but also as a tangible record of our existential experience.
Exhibitions at Palazzo Vecchio and the Florentine Civic Museums
At Palazzo Vecchio, the Exhibition “Michelangelo e il Potere” is on display until January 26, 2025.
This exhibition hosts more than fifty extraordinary works, the result of exceptional loans from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions such as the Uffizi Galleries.
Sculptures, paintings, drawings, autograph letters, and plaster casts are expertly selected to illustrate Michelangelo’s complex relationship with power, his political vision, and his determination to place himself on an equal footing with the most influential and powerful figures of his time. Through this extraordinary exhibition, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Michelangelo’s universe, understanding how the genius was able to intertwine his art with the dynamics of power, asserting his authority and creative uniqueness even before the highest echelons of society.
Also as part of the Florentine Civic Museums, the exhibition “Felice Carena.Vivere nella pittura”.
Felice Carena was an original interpreter of the rich cultural landscape that flourished in Italy lo last century.
The exhibition will focus with numerous works with different genres and techniques, from portraiture to landscape, from still life to fresco.
His work, rich in fascination and suggestion, continues to this day to exert a strong appeal on public and critics, testifying to the incredible vitality and profound originality of an absolute master of Italian painting.
Other exhibitions in Florence
Until January 8, 2025, the Marino Marini Museum in Florence will host an extraordinarily important exhibition entitled “Il Tesoro di Terrasanta al Museo Marino Marini”.
This exhibition offers visitors a fascinating overview of more than five centuries of sacred art, represented by masterpieces commissioned by Europe’s leading Catholic courts.
The exhibition presents 109 works of inestimable artistic and spiritual value, including the Altar of Calvary, which is part of the Jerusalem basilica. A particularly valuable element of this altar is the Ornament, donated by Grand Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici and made between 1588 and 1590.
After careful restoration, the Ornament left Jerusalem to return to Italy, where it will be the absolute protagonist of the Florentine exhibition. This extraordinary occasion represents a unique and unrepeatable event.
For lovers of Gustav Klimt, the Cathedral of the Image in Florence dedicates a beautiful exhibition “Inside Klimt” to the most famous and influential painter among the founders of the Viennese Secession.
The exhibition comprehensively traces the personal and artistic history of the man who is unanimously recognized as one of the greatest geniuses of modern art, dwelling on the crucial periods of his career, from his youthful experiments to the more mature outcomes of his unmistakable style, characterized by an exuberant synthesis of two-dimensionality, decorative abstractionism and chromatic preciousness.
Through March 2, 2025, some of his most iconic works will breathe new life into the magnificent architecture of the deconsecrated church of Santo Stefano al Ponte, in the beating heart of Florence.
Where to stay in Florence
For those who wish to stay in the beating heart of Florence’s historic center without having to give up the ease of reaching the most important scheduled exhibitions and shows, FH55 Hotel Calzaiuoli is the ideal solution.
Strategically located, just a 5-minute walk from the prestigious Palazzo Strozzi and only 2 minutes from the majestic Palazzo Vecchio, the Hotel offers the unique opportunity to move nimbly and comfortably reach all the other cultural initiatives that animate the Tuscan capital.
This privileged location allows you to fully experience the beauty and charm of Florence’s historic center, strolling through its characteristic streets, admiring its iconic monuments and breathing in the city’s unique, millennial atmosphere.