Updated for 2021

Lately it has felt like the streets of Florence have become more than just a Renaissance background, street art has been popping up more than ever, and everywhere I go I see something new. Something odd, something interesting, and I love it all – and it keeps my eyes open to spotting this as I walk around the city. My friends have been getting into it and even the people I work for. I realize that the actual city administration might be a lot less keen on what could be seen as defacing city alleyways, but let’s be honest. It’s get us thinking a little more, plus it makes day-to-day objects like street signs into interesting talking points.

My aim in this post was to shed a little light on the art you see in Florentine city streets, perhaps you’ve instagrammed it or told a friend.

Hopefully this way you can see who is behind much of this urban movement and we can start a discussion about this on the blog. Who have I missed? What do you like? What don’t you like?

I owe a lot of the info of this post to the wonderful Janine Gaelle, who works for street artist Clet and keeps me posted on cool street art. Plus she pulls off a boxed hat like no-one I have ever met.

UPDATE for 2018: There is now an official google map of Florence’s street art that you can save on your phone. It includes more than 50 works of art (murals, stickers and more) and options on where you can legally create your own works of art (more info can be found on La Repubblica Firenze).

Clet

When most people think of street art in Florence, they think of Clet Abraham, who has been sneakily changing street signs in the wee hours with removable stickers for over four years now. A dead-end sign becomes a Jesus crucifix, or is partially eaten by pacman – a man cutting the white bar of a ‘no go’ street sign. You could say that his work is provocative, I wouldn’t argue with that but he is what this city living off 500 year’s of history really need, a new protaganist. His work isn’t about defacing city property but instead  offers encouragement to reflect on the current constraints on “civil” society.

When my boyfriend’s parents were in town from a small city in France, Nico’s dad delighted in spotting Clet’s work, snapping a pic every time he recognized one of the signs to later make into a street art collage for his pharmacy back home.  I’ll never forget when I first spotted his enormous nose installation on the San Niccolo Tower. You don’t forget his work once you’ve seen it, besides the anti-establishment vibe – there is a strong element of ‘surprise’ in his art.

My favorite is possibly the most simple, a left-turn sign with a heart going through it – every time I see it, it brightens my day. Despite the fact that yes, these signs are modified, personally, it feels like it should be there. A lot of people have written about Clet (including my friend and a much bigger art expert than I could ever be, Alexandra from ArtTrav), and on a recent trip to Barcelona, I spotted a few of his signs out there too.

He has called Italy home for over 20 years (he is originally from France) and has a studio in one of the best areas of town, the San Niccolo neighborhood. Clet is a nice, humble and interesting person, this year we celebrated a friend’s wedding in his studio, I even got to conduct the ceremony among the artwork and prints.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB65kUrm0B3/?taken-by=cletabraham&hl=en

I loved when he was once asked ‘why Florence’, instead of the usual answer of ‘how can you not love florence‘ he simply said he choose this city because he broke up with his ex-wife and did not want to be a bachelor in the countryside, so Florence made sense, plus he wanted to stay close to his sons.

Stay in touch with Clet and visit his studio in san niccolo, Via Dell’Olmo 8r, where you can pick up stickers, prints and more. I also adored the Clet street photos from blog, The City Lane.

Clet with my newly-married friends, Yasmine & Svebor. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/-1IEcZm0EJ/?taken-by=cletabraham&hl=en

Lediesis – Female Empowerment

One of my favourite more recent street artists in the past few years (writing from 2021 here) is the work of Lediesis, whose superwomen wink from Florentine city streets since 2018, often nestled in arches or blind windows. You can spot Frida Kahlo, Mother Theresa, Liliana Segre or Italian astrophysicist and scientific disseminator, Margherita Hack. In addition to the superwomen, they also include figures who are ordinary people turned superheroes like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two antimafia prosecutors, who were assassinated by the mafia in 1992. To get to know more of their work and about the ladies themselves – check out this interview on GuidemeFlorence. 

L’arte sa nuotare

I am sure you have seen the work of ‘Blub’ (assuming that is not her/his actual name) which is called ‘L’arte Sa Nuotare,’ or ‘Art Knows how to Swim.’ often featuring famous figures and artworks such as the Botticelli madonna, Michelangelo’s David and members of the Medici family in swimming masks on small posters, it’s pretty awesome. I have spotted Blub’s work a lot around town though it usually doesn’t last long in any one place.

Famous art going for a ‘dip’ in Florence – How can you not love that?

I love his ironic flair and he reminds me a bit of Andy Warhol, according to The Florentine, they also dabble in more contemporary figures like ‘masking up’ Time’s person of the year. In a recent story on Instagrammer’s Italia Blub’s aim is “to make famous art more accessible to the wider public, take these awe-inspiring works off their museum pedestals, invoking emotion, a smile, a conversation’.

You have to follow his instagram, which keeps us up to date on the latest works, I especially love some of the latest ones, a play on famous artist René Magritte’s ‘this is not a pipe’ with a pair of swimming goggles. If you want to keep up with his work, or ask Blub a question, check out the dedicated facebook page.

Finestra con Vista #fcvfirenze

Another urban art project that I think deserves a lot of attention are the great minds behind ‘Finestra con Vista’ {window with a view) an art mob whose first event included 31 artists setting up 40+ works on city streets on a night in September (without permission naturally).   Florentine doors and windows with their own unique street pieces. The initiative is that of French artist Yan Blusseau who has also collaborated with street artists Clet and Exit/Enter.

You can see a list of the works and artists from the event on September 15th here. Interesting enough they chose the date because it was on this day in 1865 that Florence became the (temporary) capital of Italy. I saw a few of their works around town before they were taken down. I highly recommend checking out the site of Noumeda Carbona (below right) which I found very unique.

When it comes to why they do it. According to ‘Toc Toc Firenze’ “Florence is full of walled-up doors and windows. There are hundreds. They are empty frames, suspended, bordering on the absurd, that seem to expect to be honored. We don’t see them, and they, now blind, no longer see us. Inhabiting them through art seemed to be the most beautiful way to give back all the view.” – explains Yan.

My street art partners in crime, Nico & Ginger ‘artdog‘. Works by Leo Baglioni & Noumeda Carbona

Exit/Enter

It would be hard to spend a few days in Florence without spotting the work of ‘Exit/Enter’ whose funny little men in simple scenes like the one below make any decrepit wall in Florence look good. The young artist behind this work has been interviewed by Toc Toc Firenze and explains that ‘art and drawing is a part of him’ along with long walks around the city – the concept of exit and enter because ‘life is a continuous change and an endless succession of situations, depending on your point of view, can be experienced as an exit or an entrance to new possibilities’. It was almost accidental that the work made it to the streets. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities for young artists in Florence, he took to making his own ‘open air gallery’.

He did so by painting his work on the streets in Florence in order to make them ponder grandiose things like ‘the meaning of life’ with these interesting little men whose ladders go up until infinity or that fly away with a few balloons. Almost childlike but done so on purpose, the simpleness of them are genuine and pure – accessible to anyone and everyone. Check him out on facebook.

Just fly away.. 

Urban Solid

A recent favorite, I had to stop and snap a pic of this cheeky street statue on a recent walk in Florence, lo and behold (thank you instagram) I discover these are the same people behind a variety of artwork/sculptures protruding from Florentine walls. Urban Solid is the name of two Italian artists (I believe based in Milan) but have their work featured in Florence as well as London.

Kiss Florence 

Il Sedicente Moradi

A street artist creating sculpture out of recycled materials, I definitely am a fan of the work of Il Sedicenti Moradi. This anonymous 34-year-old who lived in the oltrarno going by the name ‘Self-styled Moradi’ in Italian first studied the classical arts at the Academy of fine arts in Florence, first as a cartoonist, then painter and finally a sculptor. He thinks of Florence as an ‘artist incubator’ – preferring the streets to the stuffiness of art galleries.

I spotted his ‘urban jungle’ recently in my very own neighborhood of piazza della passera, and have been obsessed with seeing what he’s got next up his sleeve via his instagram.

Guerrilla Spam

Started in 2010 by local Florentines by a single act of sticking a drawing on a street and seeing the reaction. From there, Guerrilla Spam has been seen in Torino, Barcelona and various cities around the world in various acts of ‘urban warfare’.  What I find interesting about them is how fervent they are about not wanting profit and showcasing their art in a respectful manner (not directly drawing onto buildings). They seek tomerely sharing their art on the road and in fact on their about section on Facebook the following description.

SPAM

1. Born to counter the massive power of media communication of misinformation.

2. It acts directly on the streets, in the walls, in a non-invasive, respecting the urban space as a place for everyone.

3. It works anonymously, free and independent, and its sole purpose is to communicate with people, in order to encourage freedom of thought and expression.

I find their work interesting and creative, and I highly recommend you check out their website where you can download their drawings for free and long as you promise to sell them.

Hopnn Yuri

A new urban street artist currently in Florence, dedicated to political and ecological issues which he displays through prints, often signing his own with “+BC = -CO2” to encourage people to use bikes to get around town – which often also play a part in his work. I have seen his colorful work near my house in the oltrarno and was intrigued, I’m happy to finally know who it is.

As reported by The Republic, “The Renaissance is everywhere in this city – the artist says – perhaps it lacks a bit the contemporary”. His poster featuring five members of the Medici family definitely stirred a lot of interest, and I am very much looking forward to seeing more of his work around town. You can check out his official website here, or on Facebook.

Janine also told me about an urban space, a bit dirty abandoned and used by street artists in Florence to showcase some of their work, called Malborghetto by piazza tasso (you can read more here, in Italian). I would love to visit one day and if anyone has more info about this place, let me know.

If you know about some interesting street art in Florence, Italy or beyond – tell me about it! 

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