Street Art in Florence

Florence may be known as the world's city for art and history, but did you know it is also filled with lesser-known types of art -street art? Yes, Florence is like an open-air museum with a large number of statues, frescos, sculptures, architecture, etc. that you don't have to pay to see but it is not the only free art. 

Florence has its fair share of street artists with Clet, Blub, and Exit/Enter becoming the most popular. It's fun to walk around the city and see how many of their works you can discover. Although the city has tried to remove and clean up many of these works over the past few years, I love that Florence is a mix of a fancy aristocratic city but also a bit edgy and urban at the same time. 

Clet is a street sign artist who has been enhancing street signs around Florence since about 2010. In my opinion, he is the most creative street artist because his ideas are very clever and he's working on a template if you will, on a particular shaped street sign that he has to work within its perimeters to make his design happen. His goal is not to deface city property but to offer encouragement to reflect on the restraints of civil society. His art has a very anti-establish vibe. I love that the city doesn't always remove his art as he is not disrupting the purpose that the sign has; his added art doesn't interfere with its purpose as you can still read what the sign is for. However, each design is removable. He has a studio you can visit to purchase stickers, prints, and more located at Via dell'Olmo 8 in the San Niccolo neighborhood.

Blub is an artist that does paste-ups known as "Art that knows how to swim." Blub's subjects are well-known Renaissance figures (such as members of the Medici family) or popular film, fashion, and pop culture icons, usually underwater and wearing a swimming mask. It's a playful idea that adds a twist to the Medieval city. Michaelangelo's David, Marilyn Monroe, Cosimo Medici, and Bocelli's Venus are just a few subjects that have donned his mask. 

Me with my first ever spotted Exit/Enter piece

Exit/Enter is my favorite Florentine street artist. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities for young artists in Florence, he started his street art journey by added small simple pictures to imperfections on walls all around Florence to make a statement. It's exciting to be walking down some side alley with nothing to look at and come across one of his playful drawings. Done in black and red paint, his themes explore the meaning of life and the desire for freedom in which each situation in life provides you with an option to exit or enter its possibilities. I will say that each time I come across one of his paintings, it does take me out of my headspace of the moment to ponder its message, which is a joy. 

In addition to graffiti street art, another popular art installation is the creation of chalk paintings done on Florence's actual pavement/roads. Known as pavement painters, these artists are licensed by the city and pay for the privilege to use designated spaces. Mostly found in tourist areas as the artists are working for tips, these masterpieces are truly impressive and the artists extremely talented. Many recreate paintings that you would know from museums such as the Mona Lisa, the birth of Venus, or the girl with the pearl earring. 

Here is some more street art in Florence that I have crossed paths with over the years. Of course, there are many, many more street artists than the ones I have mentioned here but these happen to be a few of my favorites. Do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments!