08 Jun 27th ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO
27th ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO – 16/19 SEPTEMBER 2021 – FLORENCE
NO LONGER JUST AN EXHIBITION BUT A TRUE EXPERIENCE OF MANUAL ACTIVITIES
A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN EXHIBITION ITINERARY, SPACE SET-UP, SELECTION OF MASTER CRAFTSPEOPLE
MOSTRA PRINCIPE 2021: “ENRICO MAGNANI PESCIA. THE ART OF HANDMADE PAPER SINCE 1481”
MI 08|06|21The 27th edition of ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO botteghe artigiane e loro committenze – promoted by the Associazione Giardino Corsini and scheduled from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 September 2021 – is back with an original and hands-on edition which will also involve the public in moments of life experienced in the Garden of the Palace, moving from historical evocation to a contemporary reality linked to manual activities.
“The new concept of our Exhibition – explain Sabina Corsini, President of the Associazione Giardino Corsini and Neri Torrigiani, creator and organiser of ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO – stems from the need to offer our visitors an organic location to remind them how, over time, craftsmen and their workshops thrived around the “Palazzo”, an ideal place which became a “showcase” and a “training ground” for experimentation. Because the craftsman’s ability to renew himself starts right here, from the ability to share his unique relationship with beauty and art”.
A journey through traditional art professions but reinterpreted in a contemporary perspective, the one that ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO has always offered, with many new features for 2021: in addition to the new selection of about 80 artisan excellences; a new exhibition itinerary unwinding between the Palazzo and the lemon houses that for the first time will also include the – fascinating and intriguing – private spaces on the ground floor of the Palazzo which have never previously been accessible to the public. The Exhibition will also be accessible from the Palazzo’s entrance on via Il Prato as well as from the usual Garden one from Via della Scala, very convenient for those arriving from outside the city by train, tramway and car.
The “Mostra Principe (Main Exhibition)” dedicated to “Enrico Magnani Pescia. The art of handmade paper since 1481” in the Ballroom is a must-see; a completely renovated set-up with the pavilions designed by Guido Toschi Marazzani Visconti and the garden furniture by Bonacina 1889; the free outdoor workshops in the new “Decoration” space; many other initiatives with the collaboration of important international institutions: the World Craft Council Europe, The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, Fondazione Ferragamo – and of the new members of the Promotion Committee in addition to the promotional campaign entrusted to the collages of young Costanza Ciattini.
ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO becomes an experience that invites the public to develop a relationship with the craftspeople at work in their workshops recreated in the new areas of the Palazzo – from the Monumental Halls to the Stables, from the Garages to the Harness Room, from the Carpenter’s Shop to the Woodshed passing through the splendid Lemon Houses – involved in the royal life of the Palazzo.
The Garden will appear as a “large outdoor workshop” abuzz with gardeners, painters, restorers – who carry out their maintenance work under the eyes of the public – and with the many free workshops which, gathered together in the “Decoration Space” will reveal the techniques concerning their creations: from gold leaf to trompe-l’oeil, from wallpaper to wicker and straw basketwork; thanks to Fondazione Ferragamo, the little ones will be involved in printing on silk and in weaving, the Ciclofficina Sociale of Scandicci will teach the young ones staying at the various reception centres the profession of bicycle maker, while in the Garage of the Palazzo it will be possible to admire the vintage cars belonging to Prince Corsini (Balilla, cars from the interwar period, Topolino, old Lancia) which still run today thanks to the expert hands of the mechanics and are examples of Made in Italy excellence.
Around the Garden you will be able to meet the students of the “Florence Academy of Art” who, with the patronage of the QEST Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, will be involved in transferring their inspirations onto Magnani paper and whose works will be exhibited and put on sale every evening with proceeds going to support the fundraising promoted by ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO.
BROWSING AMONG THE CRAFTSPEOPLE OF THE 2021 EDITION…
The winner of the 2020 edition Beatrix Bulla creates luminous sculptures using roots, trunks, barks, branches recovered from alpine forests; the Bottega d’Arte Gypsea presents “Intorno a Firenze” (Around Florence), a sphere of blown glass and stuccoes dedicated to Florentine architecture; Sonia Pedrazzini brings the objects that Morandi represented in his still-life paintings back to a three-dimensional representation through the “Le Morandine” project exhibited in the marvellous Harness Room; Luca Theodoli creates mosaics by using the coloured aluminium of tin cans, combining computer design with handmade pigments and the composition on canvas; the very elegant objects of the Fratelli Peroni artisan workshop have preserved the tradition of leatherwork and of high quality hand-coloured leather goods for three generations.
The leading Workshop School of violin making of Giuliano Merlini, a Master Craftsman who builds and restores bowed and plucked instruments, teaching the trade to young people so as not to lose our lute-making tradition; fossils, semiprecious stones, crystals, corals, precious woods and animal horns meet precious metals in order to become furnishing accessories in the creations by Petri Conchiglie; the CōDICEDS jewels, that evoke ancient atmospheres through modern forms, stem from the passion for ancient and contemporary art of Leonardo Davighi and Filippo Sanpaolesi; the art of Florentine hatters meets the most advanced techniques of London millinery in the extravagant hats created by Roxana Batog.
All woven by hand: rush, leather, marsh grass rope, Tommaso Candria uses these materials to create a collection of bags and belts, unique pieces; the collections in leather for interiors and small objects are all hand crafted by the Bottega Conticelli, renowned throughout the world also for their “Cuoio Ubriaco” (Drunk Leather) collection made with wine must;
The fabrics made by the women of the Cooperative Lou Dzeut – also chosen by Fendi for a special edition of “Baguette” – are the result of manual work on period wooden looms as are those made by the Weaving workshop of the Community of San Patrignano, and those restored by Costanza Perrone Da Zara.
THE NEW SET-UP
The creative talent of the craftspeople admitted to the Exhibition is enhanced by the new exclusive pavilions with an antique and fairy-tale charm handcrafted in hand-decorated canvas by Guido Toschi Marazzani Visconti in the Turin workshop as are the wicker and straw furnishings coordinated according to the theme, chosen from the Bonacina 1889 catalogue, a hand-made in Italy furnishing and design brand known all over the world.
ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO is from this year also sponsored by the World Crafts Council Europe and made possible thanks to the fundamental contribution of Fondazione CR Firenze, Enrico Magnani Pescia with the support of The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, Fondazione Ferragamo, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, Michelangelo Foundation in collaboration with Guido Toschi Marazzani Visconti, and Bonacina 1889.
Our thanks to the artex Centro per l’Artigianato Artistico e Tradizionale della Toscana and to Intesa Sanpaolo.
MOSTRA PRINCIPE (Main Exhibition)
“ENRICO MAGNANI PESCIA. THE ART OF HANDMADE PAPER SINCE 1481”
The Mostra Principe (Main Exhibition) of this 27th edition will be dedicated to “Enrico Magnani Pescia. The art of handmade paper since 1481” which, over time and still today, links its production to international artists, writers and names of excellence.
Set up in the Palazzo Corsini Ballroom, the exhibition will exceptionally display a selection of historical watermarked paper moulds, kept at the Museo della Carta di Pescia, and some important archival documents including – to commemorate the two hundred years since his death – the deckle for the paper which Magnani created in 1812 with the portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte and of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, for the celebrations of the Emperor’s wedding.
“The life of the Paper mill” will be recreated in a special section, where it will be possible to study the different phases of the manufacturing process through the live work of the master papermaker, while he is making the paper by hand; of the master filigree artist who will illustrate the process of making a watermark; as well as to discover the technique of sewing the watermark onto the paper mould, by means of a special sewing machine.
Finally, in the Exhibition, a calligrapher will give handwriting demonstrations and the Accademia Italiana del Galateo (Italian Academy of Etiquette) will present the “Galateo della Corrispondenza ad hoc” (Mail Etiquette), created in collaboration with Magnani.
A unique and precious historical archive, that of Casa Magnani, established in Pescia – according to archival sources – since the 15th century. A unique and great dynasty of paper makers, the Magnani family has been in Emilia since 1200 and through successive migrations moved to Liguria and Tuscany, finally settling in Pescia, creating a fine paper for centuries and establishing itself on world markets. It is therefore not surprising to find Magnani paper kept in the most important museums, in the letters of the Shelley brothers and of Lord Byron; in the Indian religious text Bhagavata Purana; in a collection of drawings and prints made in Iran under the Qajar Dynasty and in a vast corpus of works from the late 18th-early 19th century, today at the Gabinetto dei Disegni (Cabinet of Drawings) in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. Magnani brands have recently been discovered in the documents of Giacomo Leopardi preserved in the poet’s birthplace.
There are two macro sectors of reference: writing and printing paper, and watermarked paper for revenue stamps and security papers (shares, bank checks, banknotes).
In the first area, for which the Magnani family created and developed personalised watermarks, it is worth mentioning Maestro Giacomo Puccini and the personalised writing paper for commander Gabriele D’Annunzio. The watermarks in the paper attest to the use of Magnani products also by artists such as Pablo Picasso – in particular a collection of drawings kept at the Picasso Museum in Paris – Giorgio Morandi, Giorgio De Chirico, Alberto Burri, Pietro Annigoni, Lorenzo Viani.
Important customers from the food, banking and insurance, automotive and transport, energy, petrochemical and metallurgical and fashion sectors currently turn to Casa Magnani.
After the crisis of the 1980s, the Carrara family, linked to Casa Magnani by ancient family ties, takes up the baton as an element of continuity and renewal, dedicating itself with enthusiasm and passion to safeguarding and preserving the huge Magnani heritage.
In 2005, the Carrara family bought the eighteenth-century Le Carte di Pescia Paper Mill, formerly Magnani, closed since 1992, to donate it to the Associazione Museo della Carta di Pescia ETS.
The Magnani Pescia Social Entrepreneurship, is a project born in 2021 in collaboration with the Associazione Museo della Carta di Pescia Onlus (Non-profit Organisation), with the aim of using the experience and know-how of now retired Master Papermakers, Filigree Artists and Sewers to train young people eager to learn the secrets of making paper by hand: a plan for safeguarding and for passing on these skills and expertise to new generations which would otherwise be lost.
THE FUND-RAISING
For the second year running, the “ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO: GIAMBOLOGNA E LA FATA MORGANA” fund-raising drive in favour of the precious monumental complex of the Fonte della Fata Morgana, nestled at the foot of the Fattucchia hill in the municipality of Bagno in Ripoli, continues.
To date, the project has led to the creation of a faithful copy of the statue of Giambologna entrusted to the restorer Filippo Tattini, 10 works on MEDUSA FONTE paper by artist Nicola Toffolini which will be exhibited in the Long Wing of Palazzo Corsini of ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO and the provision of a first amount of € 25,000.
All the details to make a donation on: www.artigianatoepalazzo.it/raccolta-fondi-giambologna-e-la-fata-morgana/
“ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO: “GIAMBOLOGNA E LA FATA MORGANA” has been made possible by the generous contribution of the Fondazione CR Firenze with the support of Devon&Devon, The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondazione Ferragamo, B&C Speakers, the Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte and the Michelangelo Foundation, Fondazione Peretti and the generosity of Carlo Orsi, Luigi Federico Signorini, Clarice Pecori Giraldi, Patricia Wengraf, Bona Frescobaldi and Antonio Bassani Antivari.
The Exhibition ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO is organised and promoted by the Associazione culturale Giardino Corsini – chaired by Sabina Corsini – in collaboration with Neri Torrigiani; it brings together every year a new selection of Italian and foreign master craftspeople, bearers of knowledge linked to tradition and innovation: potters, glass grinders, silver embossers and goldsmiths, carvers, restorers, luthiers, tailors, hard stone and wood inlayers, straw weavers, designers and much more besides.
The Associazione Giardino Corsini is a non-profit cultural association committed to promoting and preserving the quality of artisan excellence, the value of what is made by hand and the wealth of knowledge and skill that every master craftsperson—the heart of Made in Italy—passes on, generation-to-generation.
Promotion Committee 2021
Stefano Aluffi Pentini, Jean Blanchaert, Benedikt Bolza, Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda, Fausto Calderai, Nicolò Castellini Baldissera, Chiara Stella Cattana, Matteo Corvino, Maria de’ Peverelli Luschi, Costantino D’Orazio, Elisabetta Fabri, Maria Sole Ferragamo, Drusilla Foer, Bona Frescobaldi, Alessandra Galtrucco, Francesca Guicciardini, Alvar Gonzales Palacios, Ferruccio Laviani, Federico Marchetti, Alessia Margiotta Broglio, Martino di Napoli Rampolla, Carlo Orsi, Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, Clarice Pecori Girladi, Natalie Rucellai, Maria Shollenbarger, Luigi Settembrini, Guido Taroni, Simone Todorow
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