Italy is home to some of the most renowned artists in history: Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli. However, it’s interesting to think how art of lesser-known sculptors and painters hangs adjacent to the art of the famous. Similarly, local art galleries house the art of the Italy’s modern artists right next to galleries like the Uffizi, Florence's most famous art gallery for Renaissance-style art. Though these pieces are not comparable to art of the Renaissance and don't hold the fame of the statue of David, visitors can enjoy the skill and talent of local artists throughout smaller art galleries.
Beginning in Positano, visitors can find art galleries hidden among boutiques and quaint cafes. It’s easy, and free, to pop into a shop and gaze at the art of the locals because much of the works differ from those we see in galleries at home. Positano offers a local view to overall Italian artists.
Just steps from the beautiful coast and beaches of Positano, Liquid Art System showcases three-dimensional art instillations and sculptures. The gallery calls itself “A "glocal" approach to contemporary art” on its website. Positano has two locations of the multi-national art gallery that also has galleries in Capri, London and Istanbul.
Guests are welcomed into the gallery with several wall art installations. You can see artist Daniele Sigalot's paper airplane installations at the Positano location, as well as in Capri. Planes in bronze and silver colors gradually grow in size to create an eye-catching spiral. Light bounces off the metal to create pockets of light and shadow, intriguing the viewer's eye.
Other pieces included paper sculptures that played with color. Above, one fades in and out of warm oranges and yellows, and another uses pinks and greens to simulate flowers in a garden. As you walk around these two works by Zhuang Hong Yi, the colors change as your perspective changes.The gallery was located close to the water, allowing a bounty of light to pour through its windows. Also above, the gallery placed an abstract sculpture directly in front of a large window to reflect light onto the sculpted art.
Nearby, another modern art gallery gave an even more local approach to modern art. The Italian Fine Art Gallery, located on the Piazza dei Mulini, includes both sculptures and paintings throughout the gallery. The gallery's owner, Giovanna Caputo, said, “Our gallery represents 15 artists from across the world, based mostly out of here, Italy.”
A large blue oil canvas by Roberto Di Viccaro titled "Alley in Blue" hangs in the gallery's entrance. Di Viccaro's work includes other abstract architectural paintings that focus on the contrast between warm and cool colors. On the opposite wall, Dreamcatcher, a delicate butterfly instillation, was made of paper and glass. The artist, Annalù Boeretto, was born in Venice and is an example of the variety of native Italian's art you can find in Italy.
The Positano gallery has several human sculptures throughout its store, including a massive head of a man in the entrance. Above, a golden sculpture by Roman artist Rabamara sits in the gallery's front window. Puzzle pieces comprise a majority of the human, however, other textures add to other parts of the body. This work encourages reflection and "how our deep roots, love, personal relationships, fears have radically changed compared to any previous period of human history," according to the artist.
Museo Novecento is the place for Florence’s modern art. This museum does not limit itself to only physical art, but combines media throughout its exhibits as well. Currently, the museum is undergoing the installation of new exhibits, however, four temporary exhibits give visitors a warm welcome to contemporary arts. The first floor spreads around a courtyard with a metal hot -air-balloon-like sculpture and blue neon words reading “EVERYTHING MIGHT BE DIFFERENT” in English.
Interesting about the Novecento is that it is build inside an old Florentine building. You can still see fresco-style paintings along the interior. It adds a bit of history to the otherwise contemporary style of the museum.
Guests are immediately welcomed into the museum with the architecture of modern buildings around Europe and their vast landscapes. Each piece includes immense detail, down to the miniature sculptures inside the scaled-down art galleries. With scales of 1:150 and such, the viewer becomes a giant and can appreciate the detail of the sculpted roofs of each building. The artist, Mario Cucinella, is an Italian architect from Palermo and now works on sustainable architecture projects, according to Museo Novecento.
Further down the first floor is an exhibit dedicated to video. The noticeable difference between the two exhibits, however, is the use of color. The first room plays a black-and-white film with selective audio of a German-sounding song. The eerie melody is sung by a group of people who are filmed throughout a home they share together. The interesting part of the film is how it is filmed in a single take – no editing. The artist, Ulla Von Brandenburg, filmed the video in 2009 and since then has received several awards for the video's minimalist style and use of German themes, according to the museum.
Across the neighboring room, another movie played. "It Has a Golden Sun and an Elderly Grey Moon" combines color, music and dance as a group of people dance to instruments' sounds. A woman dances to the beat of drums while colorful fabrics portray the dancers' moods through the video. The film begins with colorful fabrics revealed one after the other, and the movie ends with a solid yellow sheet. This exhibit also carries minimalist themes, but paints its characters in a more colorful sense.
Upstairs, an exhibit is dedicated to the sketches and drawings of sculptors. The exhibit is meant to show behind the scenes of modern Italian sculptors. By seeing the thought and planning behind the future sculptures, it gives museum visitors a unique view of art. The entrance fee is regularly 8.50 euros, or a reduced price for students, children or other special visitors.
Looking to buy an affordable piece of art? Art vendors line the bougainvillea-covered streets selling art prints of all sizes for as little as a few euros. These prints include vibrant watercolors of the Positano coast, buildings throughout the coastal town, or even abstract-views of the beach. You could even watch a local artists paint the piece that you take home – which could add even more memories to your souvenir.
When the most famous Renaissance art works are placed throughout Italy, it can be hard to find a more modern appreciation for talented artists. However, in modern times, it can be easier to connect with the art of modern artists than with artists of many centuries ago.