Transversal Spaces: The Intersection of Renaissance and Contemporary Art in Florence

The article investigates examples of transcultural and transtemporal cultural encounters brought about by the deliberate assemblage of iconic objects in the city of Florence, and in the process interrogates issues of authenticity, identity, place-making, and transcultural and transtemporal dialogues. Specifically, Palazzo Strozzi and Piazza della Signoria will be the focus of the debate. These two sites, together with their symbolic value and works of art will be looked at at the moment in which their space is shared by works of reputed and acclaimed international contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Bill Viola, Jan Fabre and Jeff Koons. The meeting of diverse artistic practises generates a debate that talks directly to issues of cultural identity, and opens up new spaces of aesthetic and ethical apperception based on intersection and transformation. The article engages issues of aesthetic validation, and invites a reflection on the ability of a whole city and community to negotiate a sense of identity and value in the face of global and international forces.