The exhibition Tracey Emin. Sex and Solitude offers an opportunity to open spaces for discussion and dialogue on some important themes of our present: sex, the body, gender and affectivity. Tracey Emin’s works speak of relationships, intimacy, desire, ranging through expressive forms such as sculpture, photography, painting, neon or embroidery. The encounter with her art becomes the stimulus to explore themes, sometimes considered difficult, through the lens of several disciplines, such as sociology, philosophy, sexology and digital media.
How have customs and morals changed around sex? How do we talk about bodies, sexuality and disability today? How much do digital media influence our language, and that of the younger generation, in the creation of gender identities? What is meant by sentimental education?
Four appointments to talk about the body, sex and emotions through the eyes of: Fiammetta Anna Balestracci (historian), Filippo Maria Nimbi (psycho-sexologist) in dialogue with Iacopo Melio (journalist and activist), Manolo Farci (sociologist) and Maura Gancitano (writer and philosopher).
Appointments take place in the Altana of Palazzo Strozzi.
Free entrance, booking recommended (soon available).
Activity in Italian only.
The meetings will be recorded and available in the podcast Corpo, sesso, emozioni on the main audio platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spreaker).
Schedule
Thursday March 27, 6 p.m.
Sex and the body: images and conceptions of the 20th century
With Fiammetta Anna Balestracci
In the second half of the 20th century, images and conceptions of the body and sex underwent profound changes. These transformation processes were triggered by consumption, the media and political battles that revolutionised languages and mentalities of a secular order and at the same time generated violence and reactions of the opposite sign.
Fiammetta Balestracci is a scholar of 20th century Italian and German history, the history of sexuality and the Italian Communist Party, and has worked at numerous Italian and foreign universities. She currently works at the University of Naples Federico II. His publications include La sessualità degli italiani. Politiche, consumi e culture dal 1945 ad oggi (Carocci 2020, finalist for the Premio Aqui Storia 54th edition) and for Oxford University Press An Era of Value Change. The Long 1970s in Europe (2024), curated together with Christina von Hodenberg and Isabel Richter.
Thursday April 24, 6 p.m.
Is it still difficult to talk about sex? Bodies, desires and identities between diversity and disability
With Filippo Maria Nimbi in conversation with Iacopo Melio
Is talking about sex still taboo? A meeting to explore the relationship between the body, sexuality and identity, addressing topics such as sex and body positivity, inclusive language and desire in its many facets, with a special focus on diversity and disabilities.
Filippo Maria Nimbi, psychologist, sexologist, associate professor and science communicator, deals with psychological and sexual wellbeing, affective education and sexual identity. Author of Sex Positive, he promotes a free and inclusive vision of sexuality, challenging stereotypes and taboos with kindness and sensitivity.
Iacopo Melio is a human, social and civil rights activist, who has turned communication as a journalist and writer into a political tool. He is currently regional councillor for Tuscany and national head of the Democratic Party’s Inclusion Department.
Thursday May 22, 6 p.m.
Connected intimacies: gender and sexuality in the age of digital media
With Manolo Farci
An exploration of the world of teenagers and how they shape their gender identity, discover sexuality and rewrite the rules of personal bonds through social media. Suspended between freedom and the constraints of traditional social norms, young people are creating a new form of intimacy, increasingly interconnected and shaped by technology.
Manolo Farci is a lecturer in cultural and gender studies at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo. His research investigates the links between digital media, gender and sexuality, with a particular focus on the crisis of masculinity, the construction of identity in the online universe and the cultural roots of violence. Parallel to her academic commitment, he actively participates in educational projects in schools, youth clubs and public initiatives to raise awareness on gender issues.
Thursday June 19, 6 p.m.
Sentimental education. Instructions for use
With Maura Gancitano
Sentimental education has entered the public debate as a possible solution to gender violence, but is often confused with good manners, bon ton, etiquette. In reality, the expression ‘sentimental education’ in itself does not indicate a precise content, but opens up a series of questions and can help us to know what goes on continuously in the theatre of our bodies: that set of drives, instincts, emotions and feelings that make us human.
Maura Gancitano is an Italian essayist, philosopher and columnist active mainly in the field of divulgation, with journalistic collaborations and participation in political and television debates. She is co-founder of Tlon, a school of philosophy. She collaborates with Radio 1, ‘la Repubblica’, ‘Vanity Fair’ and ‘Linus’. She is the author of numerous publications for Mondadori, HarperCollins Italia and Einaudi.
Crediti: Tracey Emin, Hurt Heart (det.), 2015. Collection by Yashian Schauble, Melbourne, Australia. © Tracey Emin. All rights reserved, DACS 2025.
