With the recent exhibition for Florens 2012
of a huge marble cross in Piazza Santa Croce, the head of the City Arts Council
has proposed to make
Florence’s
most famous squares a center for art and culture – and not a stage for
publicity and commerce. The Councilman asserts that over the years the city’s
most beautiful squares have been debased by the presence of cheap souvenir
stands, unattractive advertising and a general lack of urban décor and esthetic
valorization.
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It is precisely in Piazza
Santa Croce where so many commercial events are held. During the holiday season
this is the venue for a Christmas market with stands from Germany and
other European countries selling a variety of foods and crafts. Throughout the
year the piazza hosts numerous initiatives, like concerts, performances by
comedians and actors, as well as the famous match of Florence’s Historic Soccer, Calcio Storico Fiorentino. On a daily
basis there are numerous stands lining the perimeter, obstructing the view of
the historic buildings and selling banal trinkets that have nothing to do with
the city’s artisan traditions.
For the politician, who is also a
philosopher and professor of Esthetics at the University of Florence,
there is a need to bring in artists to breathe new life and beauty into these
open spaces that represent areas of congregation throughout the city. Although
he is not necessarily opposed to holding some of the cultural events that have
become rituals, he feels that there must be a new approach by the city to stop
degrading these public spaces which have become the victims of our consumer
driven society.
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Despite the fact that not everyone agrees about the current installation by Mimmo Palladino, there is an overall consensus that it is a good idea to draw attention to the history and beauty of these squares. Since the exhibit was inaugurated there has been a steady flow of visitors drawn by the curiosity of seeing and “figuring out” what this work of modern art is. The Piazza has come to life as people interact with the enormous blocks of marble. This vitality has made residents and business owners in the piazza recognize that perhaps it really is time to consider a change. By doing away with the petty commerce that has become typical over the years and replacing it with art, Florentines can restore dignity to some of the most historically significant public spaces in their city.
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