It happened by chance to be near Ponte Vecchio some days ago: it happened by chance to enjoy the projections dedicated to the Florence’s flood of 60s and stare at those symbols who were introducing the level of the Arno river during that disaster…
Ruler projections to measure the flood’ level Santo Spirito and Santa Maria Novella and San Giovanni almost completely flood ed by Arno Arno’s level at Galluzzo and Gavinana (Florence areas) Arno’s level at Santa Croce during the flood
Some of the projections were part of the popular Locchi’s archive (an old and professional photographer of Florence):
Arno’s flood level Giorgio Vasari and ‘Corridoio Vasariano’
Firstly said, colors and lines are going to be the protagonists since they are the special guests of the paintings we’re going to see. They drew my attention since some years ago, when I firstly heard about Professor Bad Trip by looking at some cover books by an Italian write – Niccolò Ammaniti – and still are the very core of his saucerful work of arts I was lucky to see:
Prof. Bad Trip, lesson n.2 exhibit in RomeArte Mutante
The paintings and multiple installations tell the story of his life: you can see his capability to experiment with several supports and materials, as well as using combination of colors which livens up his works and make them even more psychedelic than they could be: Indian ink drawings, comics, illustrations and collages, they always present the same icons as eyes, skulls, semi-human robots, hallucinogenic views, rich and popular people, mutant organisms, meteors and alien creatures…
Prof. Bad Trip
The entrance of Palazzo Velli Expo:
Bad eye by Prof bad Trip
Then, his experimental works with several types of support as screen prints, sculptures, ink on paper and drawings:
Robota II by Prof Bad Trip
Lego Robot 2004
Robot is smiling too, Prof. Bad Trip
Robota by Prof. Bad Trip
Then the series dedicated to #flowerpower 🌺🌻🌸..where the colour contrasts empower the illustrations and pictorial works:
Acid flowers, by Prof. Bad Trip
Gianluca Lerici – the actual name of Prof. Bad Trip – was – and still is – also one of the representative of Mail art, that kind of art communication which was popular in the early 60s when the ‘mail’ channelwas considered a prominent way to promote arts and social values to spread one own’s work of art by challenging the regular channels – that is to say, the art the was able to propagate despite the fact that an artist was able to find a good gallery or available spaces to exhibit their arts:
Mail art, postcards by Prof. Bad Trip
collage by Prof. Bad TripGianluca Lerici, Prof. Bad Trip
Series of works of art by Prof. Bad Trip
A commemorative stamp for Prof. Bad Trip
Triptych – first painting
Triptych – second painting
Triptych – third painting
‘Trittico Space‘ – These are one of his most important work: the triptych, the bas space, which ends the exhibit. You can choose to stare at it or live it thanks to the virtual reality app that has been developed in order to engage the audience and let them fell free to swim in it, surf it, catch all the meteors or just enjoy the trip offered by the Professor..
sculpture in the space
If you want to enjoy more of his works, Teké Gallery did a complete study and tries to introduce Prof. Bad Trip as his actual nature of avant-garde punk artist. Here you can find a digital catalogue, you can leaf through the pages of this book…
Do you know that the most popular brand of Italian motorbikes Ducati was firstly a Radio Company?! 😳
Its name was Società Radio Brevetti Ducati, based in Bologna (which is not Borgo Panigale, but in the very heart of the city) and founded by the 3 Ducati brothers. One of them, infact, was a physicist and he firstly discovered how to connect an Italian radio station with an American one: thanks to a condenser that improved the radio transmissions, Ducati business was boosted all over the world, and they became one of the leader company for radio tools and freequencies.
Radio Brevetti Ducati, 20s’ Bologna
Then our history told us about the Second World War, and in that period, Ducati was asked to produce useful products for the Army: in that moment it started to develop specific bikes, or better, motorbikes as Cucciolo, the very first one:
Cucciolo, the first motorbike by DucatiThe heart of Cucciolo by Ducati
Ducati motorbikes
Regina d’Africa motorbike for Dakar, Museo Ducati, Borgo PanigaleRed Ducati, Museo of Borgo Panigale
Scrambler, the adventurer motorbike by Ducati
The visit to the museum ended up after a tour of the industry where you can have a look to the production lines and process but it was absolutely forbidden to take pics 🙄
To finish, here you are some pics of the surrounding buildings
Yes it’s hard to be believe, above all if thinking that that night was a Saturday night!
Who can imagine to be involved in a surprisingly exhibit on a Sat night? And in a church? Well it can happen, it happened. Saturday night, November 5th 2016.
It was almost midnight when the news came to my ears: ”The last supper‘ by Vasari will be shown at the Opera of Santa Croce for free – only for a night, due to the 50th anniversary of Florence flood – the disastrous flood of 1966 which destroyed half of the city…Vasari painting included.
Here you are what I was lucky to see..the Vasari unveiled at the Opera of Santa Croce:
The last ssupper by Vasari, Santa Croce, Florence
In one of the inner room, there were projections related to the worst flood ever – at least in Florence:
Florence flood 1966
During that flood – it was said – that the most of the city heritage was completely destroyed. The Vasari painting that was in the church of Santa Croce at that moment, was completely damaged by the water, and that’s why its restoration has been chosen as a symbol for the 50th anniversary after the big flood.
Enjoy my last pics of the Opera of Santa Croce：
Opera of Santa Croce, Florence
..even if I suggest to visit it to have a look and see directly the painting and the Opera too! 🙌
Starting with the Pink Floyd cover of Another Brick in the wall…just to be projected in the context…
Well, pink, that’s how I tried to be and feel yesterday while waiting for this unexpected show: the official Pink Floyd tribute band live, the Brit Floyd.
Before entering the show, audience was also warned about lights effects which could bother someone – this only made people more curious about what we were going to see..
first of all:
Brit Floyd – live show in Florence 2016
Brit Floyd
Then it comes the psychedelic version:
Battersea Bridge station in the back and psychedelic mood
Psychedelic faith and dark side
The grand final…
#NoteOfTheDay Time – The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
Ruler projections to measure the flood’ level
Santo Spirito and Santa Maria Novella and San Giovanni almost completely flood ed by Arno
Arno’s level at Galluzzo and Gavinana (Florence areas)
Arno’s level at Santa Croce during the flood
Arno’s flood level
Giorgio Vasari and ‘Corridoio Vasariano’
Florence flood projections at Ponte Vecchio
