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Initially joining the organisation with the task of taking care of communication, he took on the role of public relations manager for the 5th edition of the event, and became increasingly involved in the organisational, management and strategic planning areas.

In this interview, he gives his views on the Florence contemporary art biennale.

How did the idea for the Biennale come into existence?

In 1997, Florence felt the need to emerge from the cultural torpor that had animated the last 10 years. It was a significant intuition of Piero and Pasquale Celona to think that Florence could once again be a welcoming place for artists and that they would ideally open the doors of their studios by exhibiting hundreds of works. This gave rise to a first edition where multiple cultures met in the city that had revived the spirit of man and that had looked at the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli and the other great masters of Italian art with contemporary eyes. Past and present found common ground and through the encounter between artist and public strengthened that bond that is still present today.

What have been the main achievements in 20 years of the exhibition?

An exhibition that spans all these years has already achieved something, especially in such a difficult sector as culture. One of the goals we had set ourselves was to be able to represent the world's art at 360°, the living art that pulsates between the hands of the artists and is unleashed to create works of art steeped in the most diverse cultures. We have succeeded in this aim by exhibiting artists from all continents in Florence in twenty years, with more than 100 nations represented. This has also allowed us to be awarded some honours, such as the Artist For Human Rights award of the American Artist Association, or to be included in the United Nations programme ‘Dialogue Among Civilisations’ in the light of the 2001 edition that took place after the tragic events of 11 September. Above all, on that occasion, we perceived the afflatus that art is able to convey by helping to eliminate those ‘artificial’ barriers that man tends to put between himself and ‘the other’.

What are the major difficulties?

Obviously an event of this magnitude needs to be elaborated, metabolised and implemented in an organised and methodical manner, but always with a modicum of madness and creativity that pushed us to hypothesise the unthinkable. There were many difficulties encountered along the way, not the least of which was the relationship with the city, which at first was not used to dealing with contemporary art in such a direct way. These difficulties, however, stimulated us to go further and think ahead, allowing us to make it to the 11th edition. For this I must thank Piero and Pasquale who have never given up and have always believed in the path we have taken, to the many friends who still accompany us, believing in our objectives, and also to those who have travelled a piece of the road with us and who have now found their own path.

How do you see the relationship with the city of Florence?

As I said at the beginning, it was not easy to get our message across. Florence is an incredible city, with a thousand resources and that lives everything with passion. But at the same time, it is a city that hardly accepts change and novelty. In short, if you want to work in Florence you have to be humble, have patience and perseverance. After so many years and so many editions, I feel I can say that we have now found our ‘dimension’ and that institutional and other relations with Florence are excellent. We have numerous synergies and collaborations with the many realities of the city's fabric, with the world of culture and business, with the intention of being increasingly connected with the territory.

Why does an artist choose to show his or her work at the Florence Biennale?

Florence Biennale is a platform for artists to exhibit their art on an international level and to compare themselves with their ‘colleagues’ from every corner of the globe. In addition, numerous industry insiders such as gallery owners and collectors come in search of new and established talent. I often came across artists who had participated in one of the editions of the Florence Biennale in galleries in Florence or Italy and in other countries. This model allows the artist to enhance his or her work even more and allows art operators to expand their horizon. This synergy, of course, allows culture to be disseminated on several levels and gives everyone a chance.

What is the secret to organize a successful edition?

A vision. A goal. Patience, perseverance and organisation. Finally, making the most of one's mistakes. This, in my opinion, is the mantra of good practice for a successful event, but above all to ensure that it lasts and can grow with each edition.

The theme of the 11th edition is creativity and sustainability. Why?

In this 11th Florence Biennale, we felt the need to give a theme that was topical, but with a broader vision that included cultural aspects. We all now hear about sustainability and the good practices to be put in place to preserve our ecosystem. In this perspective, summarised in the theme ‘eARTh: creativity and sustainability’, cultural difference and biodiversity are not understood as separate and parallel realms, but are instead part of a kind of symbiotic evolutionary process to be preserved and nurtured. For example, UNESCO recently started to consider a territory for its past and present, but above all for its future sustainable development. Monumental places are valued, as always, but culture in its varied nature is also increasingly considered, i.e. traditions, art, craftsmanship, people and everything that makes the territory that hosts that place unique and therefore the heritage of us all.

Florence Biennale is not only an exhibition, but also a label of related initiatives. Are there future plans in this regard?

We always have many ideas, some of them are still under conceived, others are realised. In recent years, Florence Biennale has organised exhibitions both in Italy and abroad, from Paris to Beijing, from Vienna to Assisi and Matera. Our international collaborations allow us to develop wide-ranging projects where we often export a tried and tested Made in Italy organisational and exhibition model. We are currently evaluating several initiatives for 2018 in collaboration with important national and international partners aimed at young people. For 2019, we have already started working on the 12th edition, developing ideas with some partners to boost the Mediterranean area and southern Italy.

Marco Ferri