Florentine Art Deco at Palazzo Medici Riccardi

The exhibition "Florence Deco. Atmospheres of the Twenties" is open until August 25th at Palazzo Medici Riccardi. It recounts a decade of exceptional creative ferment in Florence.
After the World War I, emerged a renewed interest in the applied arts, which perfectly expressed the aesthetic values ​​of the time and were simultaneously seen as a new economic resource. In this historical context, the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris heralded the success of a new modern taste based on elegance, luxury, and the collaboration between decorative arts and manufacturing.
The elegant and cosmopolitan Florence of the time was perfectly suited to the tastes of an international clientele, reaffirming itself as a center of excellence for the applied and decorative arts in the fields of design, graphics, and fashion. Artists and artisans captured the atmosphere of the era by masterfully balancing classical tradition and modernity, which is illustrated throughout the exhibition through ceramics, furniture, clothing, jewelry, advertising posters, and much more.

The first section is dedicated to the relationship between Florence and Paris and the theme of the Commedia dell'Arte masks.
Great importance is given to ceramic production, particularly the Richard-Ginori manufactory, which underwent a period of renewal in the 1920s thanks to the contribution of Gio Ponti. Other Florentine manufacturers are also presented, such as Cantagalli and the Fornaci San Lorenzo, led by Galileo Chini.
A section is dedicated to the Monza Biennial of Decorative Arts, in which many Florentine artists and manufacturers participated.
The display continues with advertising graphics, heavily influenced by the aesthetics and new types of communication developed by the Futurist movement, with artists such as Lucio Venna, Nerino, and many others.
The exhibition concludes with a section dedicated to fashion, featuring prominent figures such as Gucci, Ferragamo, and Thayaht with his famous 1920s tracksuit.
A journey that helps the visitors understand the national and international significance of Florentine Art Deco.