Eco-existences: forms of the natural and the artificial
20 October – 7 December 2022
IED Firenze, via Bufalini 6R
Eco-existences: forms of the natural and the artificial, is a collective exhibition that uses the work of seven artists (Leone Contini, Simone Donati, Claudia Losi, Elena Mazzi, Elena Nemkova, Caterina Sbrana and Nicola Toffolini) to explore the convergence between natural and artificial spaces and the manner in which communities perceive and experience those spaces.
The project is based on an exhibition produced on the premises of the IED Firenze and it extends, through a rich schedule of events, lectures and workshops for the public, into a number of venues in the city and into Palazzo Strozzi’s workshops. Eco-existences uses the languages of culture, anthropological research, science and narrative to expand our understanding of a reality that is still in the process of being defined. The exhibition enters a territory whose boundaries are still undefined and triggers a reflection on the now outdated contrast between man and nature.
The project, devised to tie in with the Olafur Eliasson: Nel tuo tempo exhibition, is the result of cooperation between the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the IED Firenze’s Master’s in Curatorial Practice. The dialogue with the artists, the exhibition and the activities will feature in a book published by Kunstverein Publishing, Milan.
The project, for the second year running, is a co-production by the IED Firenze’s Master’s Degree in Curatorial Practice and the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. It is coordinated by Daria Filardo (IED) and Martino Margheri (Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi) with curatorial development by the master’s degree class of 2021/2022 (Carmen Ferreira De Terenzio, Marica Pia Galtieri, Veronica Gomez Puig, Elena Graglia, Beatrice Guercini, Sara Labianca, Shana Maria Lewis, Yolimar Martinez Merced, Anabella Salazar, Elena Sinagra and Wang Le).
Public programme
Thursday 29 September at 15.00
Rethinking the landscape: the clash between the natural and the artificial by Simone Donati
A workshop for teens using photography to observe the areas where the city borders on the countryside. The results of the project will be presented at the exhibition.
Saturday 29 October at 15.30
Ritual picnic by Leone Contini
A moment of debate and conviviality on the shores of the lake at Argingrosso for a total immersion in the area’s complex ecosystem.
Saturday 5 November from 10.00 to 14.00
Every step a form of time by Claudia Losi with Antonio Perazzi
A guided walk through two historical garden parks in the city of Florence: the Park of Villa Stibbert and the Park of Villa Ruspoli.
Saturday 12 November from 10.00 to 17.00
Complex geographies by Elena Mazzi
A workshop for adults devoted to exploring the trade route linking China to Europe via a new Arctic passage opened up by the melting ice cap.
Thursday 17 November at 18.00
Hic sunt leones by Caterina Sbrana with Annalisa Metta
A tale in two voices of surviving wild presences in undeveloped urban and suburban areas, and of the imaginary landscapes that could come out of them.
Thursday 24 November at 18.00
The greatest mass extinction by Eléna Nemkova with Claudio Garbelli
A performance-lecture along scientific lines devoted to the most serious prehistoric climate crisis and to its recent biogeochemical simulation.
Saturday 26 November at 17.00
Fleeting systems like foam by Nicola Toffolini
A encounter among readers for a group debate on two texts addressing the relationship between man, nature and the climate: Philipp Blom’s The First Winter and Cal Flyn’s Islands of Abandonment
Wednesday 30 November at 17.00
Presentation of the Eco-existences catalogue by students enrolled in IED Firenze’s Curatorial Practices Master class.
An overview of the exhibition, interaction with the artists and related activities.
Wednesday 7 December at 18.00
Eco-existences exhibition closure
The activities are held at Palazzo Strozzi, at IED Firenze and in various venues in the city.
Activities are free of charge; reservations are required; places are limited.
Cover illustration: Simone Donati, Varco Appennino, Calabria, 2016. Courtesy the artist
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