IX edition
16/17/18 May 2003
Under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic
European Community Representation in Italy
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts
Region of Tuscany
Province of Florence
Municipality of Florence
Garden of Palazzo Corsini sul Prato
115, Via della Scala, Florence
One hundred of the most extraordinary and capable Italian and European craftsmen will gather from 16 to 18 May in the splendid monumental garden of Palazzo Corsini sul Prato for the 9th edition of ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO craft workshops and their commissions. The artisans will propose their creations: furnishing objects, special papers, “designer fakes”, fabrics, hat shapes, jewellery, lutes, mosaics, embroideries, baskets and baskets, carillons, boxes, glassware, majolica, perfumes and essences, make-up and wigs, all coming from strictly “handmade” work.
The event, promoted by Princess Giorgiana Corsini, conceived and organised by Neri Torrigiani, stems from the idea of re-evaluating the figure of the craftsman, his work and the traditional handmade product in today’s world, but above all from the fact that creation never has an end and that each work is not equal to the next. And it is here, in this venue, that craftsmen are called upon to demonstrate live the various working techniques with practical demonstrations that will be repeated over the three days of the event. So it is not a simple exhibition of handicraft objects, but rather a showcase of the craft itself through its work and art that comes from tradition, the knowledge of a craft that is often handed down from father to son.
The exhibition is held in the garden of Palazzo Corsini, one of the most interesting examples of an Italian-style garden in Tuscany, designed by Gherardo Silvani, with the central avenue lined with statues sloping down to suggest the perspective effect, with flower beds, boxwood and lavender hedges, dozens and dozens of lemon, rose and peony basins.
For the exhibition, which will run continuously from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., there will be guided tours of the garden, practical demonstrations, examples, entertainment and refreshments. On the closing evening, there will be the awarding of the ‘Cellini Prize’, instituted by the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, in recognition of the exhibitor most appreciated by the public.
On show, to name but a few, we will be able to admire the beveled glass from the antique Vetreria Locchi, the silk patchwork by Tess Blondel from London, the handmade papers by Lea Bilanci, the carillons by Goffredo Colombani, the boxes by Ann Hepper and many others. And again the make-up and wigs of Filistrucchi, the perfumes and essences of the Officina Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the ‘designer fakes’ of Marco Rindori, the Byzantine embroideries of Irma Scudellari Melandri.
Crafts and the Palace
Florence, Garden of Palazzo Corsini sul Prato, Via della Scala 115
Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 2003
Continuous opening hours 10-21
Admission 7,5 euro, 5 euro reduced
For information:
Studio Neri Torrigiani 055 2654589
www.artigianatoepalazzo.it
PROGRAMME:
Friday 16 May
– 10 a.m. opening of the exhibition and preview for the press
– 9 p.m. evening closure
Saturday 17 May
– 10 a.m. opening
– 11 a.m. and noon guided tours of the garden by the Cultural Association Città Nascosta
– 9 p.m. closing time
Sunday 18 May
– 10 a.m. opening
– 11 a.m. and noon guided tours
– 3, 4 and 5 p.m. guided tours of the Garden
– 6 p.m. awarding of the ‘Cellini Prize – Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze
to the exhibitor most appreciated by the public
– 9 p.m. closing of the event
With the ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO project, we hope, by bringing together an increasingly large group of master craftsmen from all over Italy, to catalyse the attention of a vast and attentive public on these debated topics, hoping for a lively interest on the part of the parties involved: the craftsmen and their clients.