The Wound at Palazzo Strozzi

Once again, Palazzo Strozzi decided to donate to the public an artwork that is visible from the outside, in compliance with anti-contagion regulations, an installation that can be enjoyed by anyone crossing Piazza degli Strozzi. JR, one of the most famous contemporary artists in the world, is the author of this work entitled La Ferita (The Wound), with which he changed the face of the building's façade.
A monumental "wound", 28 meters high and 33 meters wide, that becomes a window to the inside of the museum and shows us the colonnade of the courtyard, an imaginary exhibition hall and a library, posing a reflection on the accessibility to all places of culture at the time of Covid-19.
This wound is painful, and has been inflicted on all Italian cultural institutions, forced to prohibit or limit public access to their spaces. A reality that is hard to digest in a country as closely linked to the world of art and cultural tourism as Italy is, and Florence, one of the most important Italian cities of art, becomes the spokesperson for this message.
JR's works, rigorously site-specific, are always characterized by their strong visual impact, their public and participatory dimension: huge photographic collages that change the appearance of façades, streets, roofs, squares and other urban places. Thus the work on the façade of Palazzo Strozzi creates an illusionistic game that attracts and involves passers-by, and brings them, even if only for a moment, inside.

If it’s true that it is necessary to maintain social distancing and create rules that protect the population’s health, it is also true that we need art now more than ever, looking from afar is not enough.
Let us not forget that man is the only animal on earth capable of creating works of art. It is hard to give up one of the things that makes us human, especially when months and months of forced isolation have made us feel helpless and have made us re-evaluate and reprogram our existence. If in a historical moment like this, beauticians and hairdressers remain open, while places of culture are closed, it is inevitable to question our own judgment, clearly there is something wrong. So we look forward to seeing the "wound" healed, and can becoming part of our daily life once again, as it should. In the meantime, you can admire JR's work until 22 August.