What do Pac Man, spilled wine, The David, and a cat all have in common? Well, all four can be found on street signs throughout Florence.
My first afternoon walking through Florence I was in awe. Taking it all in I noticed the tiny cobblestone roads, delicious smells coming from all directions, beautiful statues and marvelous architecture at every turn. But best of all? Gelato always seemed to be within just a few steps.
Every time I stepped out I found something new. I discovered an outdoor market just a few blocks away from my apartment, tons of leather stores, and restaurants hidden down every alley.
As I ran from one sidewalk to another I started to understand the unique relationship between pedestrians and drivers in this busy city.
But it wasn’t until much later that I started to notice the street art in Florence. It started with one sign in particular that caught my eye. It was a do not enter sign with a stick figure man that looked like he was carrying the white line.
I thought the sign was cool but didn’t think much else about it until I saw another one. This next sign also had a stick figure man holding the white line but this time with hearts.
At this point, I was intrigued. How many are there? What do they mean?
The more I walked around Florence the more the signs stood out to me and the more I started to pay attention to local street art.
Then on our walking tour, Alexandra, our guide pointed out one of the signs to us. She explained that they were from a local artist named Clet. She told us Clet applies decals to signs around Florence. She said Clet has even had to pay city fines for defacing public property but that surprisingly the city leaves them up. She said the dynamic between Clet and the city officials is quite unique.
Soon after, it became like a game to me. How many altered street signs could I spot? Could I spot more than my friend? Who could find more on the way to the train station? It slowly became like our own treasure hunt through Florence.
It got me thinking: Why does he make them? Are they in other cities too?
After a quick Google search, I learned the artist’s full name is Clet Abraham. He was born and raised in France where he studied art at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 2005 he moved to Florence where he now runs his own studio in San Niccolò, Firenze.
Clet said he noticed the juxtaposition between the beauty of the ancient Renaissance City and the abundance of invasive road signs. This led him to try to change that, by offering a new take on an old sign while adding in beauty and humor.
His altered street signs include stick figures, animals and even famous works of art like The David.
Since he arrived in Florence almost 15 years ago, Clet has been designing and placing decals that could be carefully put onto the street signs without damaging them. He makes them easily removable because he, “he doesn't want to ruin, destroy or be to invadent”.
Clet typically places the decals at night. He uses his bike as a prop, leans it against the chosen street sign, stands on the seat, and applies the decal. The entire process is quick and easy. It takes less than a minute.
He goes at night to reduce the risk of being caught. However, last October he walked away with a 400 euro fine when the police found him altering a street sign.
When asked why he choose Florence he responded, “Well I'm afraid there's not a magic or romantic reason, I have a son in Arezzo and part of my family lives in Tuscany. Florence was the perfect place to stay close to my family and also to be part of an important city from the artistic and cultural point of view".
His art doesn’t stop at street signs; he has also created a fiberglass statue. However, just a few days after he placed "The Common Man" at Ponte alle Grazie the police removed it. While Clet wasn’t surprised that the police acted, he was surprised to find out locals had become so attached to it they started an online petition that saved his art piece. After such a large demand the statue was eventually placed back on the bridge where it can be seen today.
While I haven’t been in Florence long, I can already tell the community here seems to be quite fond of his artwork. I’ve seen a few other tour groups stop in front of his pieces. I’ve also witnessed many individual tourists pause to take photographs of the street signs. I’ve even seen small children point at the signs while walking through the streets.
Personally, I think street art gives a city flavor. It shows that art doesn’t have to be in a museum, famous or even old to be enjoyed. Instead, it can be funky and colorful or found at the end of an alley.
Clet’s decals often reference culture, local landmarks, or make people laugh. In a city filled with art and bursting with culture, it adds depth and excitement to any trip to Florence.
To see even more of his work, you can visit his studio on Via dell'Olmo street. It is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. His desk sits in the right corner and he is often there working. If Clet happens to be in you can learn about how he creates and designs his art.
In addition, you can stop by his studio to purchase original art, a vinyl sticker, t-shirt, or bottle opener as a memento.
Clet continues to spread his artwork to other European capitals such as Paris, Rome, London, Turin, Milan or Barcelona. So, if you happen to be abroad, look up, you might just spot a funny looking street sign and embark on a treasure hunt of your own.
To keep up with Clet check out his Instagram account.
Or his fan run Facebook page.