Host: Itaian National Association of Fine Arts (Associazione Nazionale di Belle Arti d’Italia)

Organizer: ISOLART Gallery, Mucchi International Culture and Art Management Ltd Location: Via del Giglio 6 (Private Palace of the Bartoloni Salimbeni Family), 50123, Florence, Italy

Time: 05/11/2023-20/11/2023

Exhibition poster

Exhibition introduction

2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition is a major international exchange exhibition of Chinese and European art and culture hosted by ANBA (Associazione Nazionale di Belle Arti d’Italia), organized by ISOLART Gallery and MUCCHI International Culture and Art Management Ltd. In early November, the art exhibition will be held at a Private Palace of the Bartolini Salimbeni Family in the center of Florence, after Florence Biennale, which is one of the three major art exhibitions in Italy.

Bartolini Salimbeni Family

The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello, probably commissioned by the Bartolini Salimbeni

The venue for this exhibition is a centuries-old building once owned by one of the wealthiest and most important families in Florence during the Renaissance, the Bartolini Salimbeni Family. At the beginning of the fourteenth century Bartolino Salimbeni, a member of one of the richest and most glorious families of Siena, decided to move to Florence to practice the trade of mercatura (trading and money lending). Since the memory of the Florentine defeat at the Battle of Montaperti (1260) and also of the painful expulsion of the Ghibellines was still alive, his descendants thought it best to change the surname to Bartolini, omitting the inconvenient noble name which recalled one of the major Ghibelline families of Siena. They successfully dedicated themselves to the production and trade of wool, becoming greatly enriched.

Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni,building elevation

One of Florence’s landmark historical buildings was named after the Family. Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni is a High Renaissance-style palace once owned by the Bartolini Salimbeni and the current edifice was erected by the architect Baccio d’Agnolo between 27 February 1520 and May 1523. The structure represents one of the earliest buildings in Florence expressing the High Renaissance style of Rome, where Baccio had spent several formative years.

Exhibition venue

Stone steps at the entrance to the exhibition hall

The building that houses the venue for this exhibition is another private palace owned by the Bartolini Salimbeni family, built in the 16th century. It is located in the center of Florence, just a block away from the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. The entrance to this private palace is decorated in a very elegant and detailed style. The spacious staircase leads up to the ceiling, which is decorated with centuries-old bas-reliefs. Inside, there are eight bright and spacious separated halls. In order to maximize the impact of the exhibition, our curatorial team has created different themes and styles for each of these spaces, as well as a more precise categorization of the artworks. The building, which was often used as an event space open to the public for large-scale exhibitions and banquets from the 19th century onwards, is currently undergoing an interior renovation for this exhibition. At the beginning of November, the palace will open its doors to the public as the exhibition hall for the 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, featuring more than a hundred artworks from different all over the world.

One of the independent exhibition spaces

Exhibition theme

The theme of 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition is “IDENTITY CYCLE”, which is an interdisciplinary concept involving psychology, sociology and philosophy. It defines a person’s self-perception and the projection of an individual’s portrait by the environment. In the context of contemporary social phenomena and contemporary art, identity is no longer a constant frame comment on an individual, but a fluid cognition of individuals in a group that is cyclical and constantly iteratively updated. The theme scope of exhibition includes all discussions on self-awareness, identity, body, and reflection on the relationship between individuals, groups, and the environment. Of course, based on the number of exhibition spaces, the curatorial team will also categorize the works based on form, theme, size, and color, so as to ensure the complete presentation of the artworks, and to make sure each individual hall have the most harmonious, consistent, and unique tone.

Art Resources provided

As the organizer of 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, ISOLART Gallery will provide both online and offline promotion of international art resources for the participating artists and teams, including a 15-day exhibition curated by professional team led by Yuanqi Cao and Francesca Rui at a Private Palace of the Bartolini Salimbeni Family in the center of Florence, Italy; an online exhibition in both Chinese and English on the official website of ISOLART Gallery (isolart.cn); invitation letter to the opening ceremony and cocktail party at the exhibition site; promotion of more than one hundred domestic and international art media including e Artron; collector promotion; professional photographer’s record for the scene of the exhibition and details of artworks; a certificate of participation on paper in both Chinese and English versions; an official catalogue on paper for the 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition; promotion of the artist’s personal homepage on the official website of ISOLART Gallery (isolart.cn); news reports from the Italian National Association of Fine Arts and individual artist reports;full sponsorship of Art Week Italia di Santa Maria del Fiore and an opportunity to apply for membership in the Italian National Association of Fine Arts. We would love to select outstanding mature individual artists, art teams and promising emerging artists from all over the world, to carry out targeted cooperation support and long-term cooperation, including solo exhibitions, to help more Asian artists to enrich the experience of international exhibitions, and to develop their art careers in Europe and China.

The exhibition will open at the beginning of November in the center of Florence, and will be attended by many celebrities from the European art, culture, education and fashion industries. 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition has attracted much attention from the mainstream media in China and Italy, and is widely recognized as an important art activity that will bring about a collision, exchange and integration of contemporary art forms and concepts between China and Europe. This exhibition brings together many outstanding artists from China, Italy and other countries around the world, who use their works to interweave an international art dialog across time and space. For all those who attend or pay attention to this exhibition, it will also be a rich and free art experience about fantasy and reality, concept and form.

Contact method

If you are willing to participate in this exhibition or cooperate with us, please send an message to the official email of ISOLART Gallery: isolartgallery@gmail.com