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Official inauguration of the XV edition of the Florence Biennale. This reserved-access event will host institutional representatives, guest speakers, participating artists, and international partners.

Official public opening of the XV Florence Biennale. Visitors are welcome to access the exhibition spaces and begin their journey through contemporary art and international design.

Tickets can be purchased online at this link.

An art installation focused on the theme of migration, drawing a parallel between Italy and Argentina, accompanied by readings from Luca Di Fulvio's book The Daughter of Freedom.

The (a)Mend - La (r)Ammenda is a performance that explores the theme of the XV Florence Biennale. Light has always been a metaphor for the divine, goodness, and life. It is often contrasted with darkness, which has been perceived as a symbol of evil, the unknown, and death. However, as we know, light cannot be perceived without darkness itself, forming an archetypal dualism. This performance therefore seeks to highlight the necessity of embracing all aspects of the human conditions through the representation of the Fallen Angel. It can thus be seen as an act of acceptance and a process of healing from the past, the trauma and the pain, in a difficult and long journey but filled with love, vulnerability and gentleness towards ourselves and the hidden aspects of our being that we often struggle to fully accept.

Women in Dance (WID) is a global initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of women-identifying and gender-diverse artists through performance, scholarship, leadership, and film.

The Women in Dance International Film Festival, launched in 2021, extends this mission into the cinematic realm. Each year, the festival curates an inspiring selection of short dance films created by women and gender-diverse choreographers and filmmakers. These works explore themes of identity, resilience, social justice, and creative innovation, showcasing the power of movement as a form of storytelling. To date, the festival has received over 600 submissions from more than 35 countries, establishing itself as a vital global showcase of choreographic and cinematic excellence.

Strange Place is a contemporary experimental performance that invites viewers to see reality from a new perspective—one shaped by an unfamiliar space where the reality and fiction intersect. Drawing inspiration from everyday life, as well as from theatrical and imaginative elements, the performance seeks to spark new experiences and reflections. By blending physical movement with installation art, it creates a dialogue between the tangible world and the audience's inner imagination. Through this immersive experience, viewers are encouraged to question and rediscover their own identities and values.

This educational workshop is built on an immersive and interactive methodology, where children take an active role in their own learning process. Through the fusion of art and play, they are encouraged to express emotions and thoughts in a spontaneous and creative way.  Contemporary art—with its diverse languages and expressive tools—offers a rich ground for exploring self-expression and the relationship between the individual and their environment. At the heart of the workshop is the use of artificial light as a means to define space and create imagined scenarios. Within this context, children become “explorers of the imagination,” transforming their surroundings through light and materials, while building confidence in themselves and their creative abilities. 

In addition to the 10.30 am session, three more sessions will take place on 19 October:

- 12 pm

- 4 pm

- 5 pm

At the occasion of the XV edition of the Florence Biennale, Chinese artist Chao Ge will receive the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Lifetime Achievement Award from the President.

In the 1980s, Chao Ge, a young artist from northern China, resolved to dedicate himself to realizing the spiritual ideal of art through his paintings. Through unremitting efforts, by the early 1990s, he had become a recognized practitioner and leader of spiritual painting in China’s art circles.

His art embodies the poetic beauty nurtured by the vast landscapes of the East, while also touching upon the hardships, spiritual confusion, and human suffering of the 20th century. In an era of artistic atmosphere filled with entertainment-driven restlessness, noise, and venting, his creations have preserved a rare seriousness of spirit. The world we inhabit is sliding toward a secular abyss at an unstoppable pace; yet Chao Ge, through decades of unwavering endeavour, seeks spiritual truth through painting and contends with this declining world.

Acclaimed by the Financial Times as “Britain’s Greatest Living Stone Sculptor”, the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Lifetime Achievement Award from the President will be awarded to Emily Young during the XV Florence Biennale.

At the heart of Young’s work is a profound concern for humanity’s troubled relationship with the planet. Young stated in an interview: “We thought of the Earth as a great beneficent mother and we can take anything we want from her. And in fact, we now know she is not infinitely generous; she has her limits”. Through the wildness and stillness embodied in stone, Young captures fleeting moments of tranquillity and peace. Her sculptures — which could endure for millions of years — explore the dualism of interrelationship and alienation between human civilisation and nature — a duality that reminds us of our origins and our impact on the environment.

In this edition, Emily Young presents a selection of sculptures that resonate with the theme of this edition, including a new disc sculpture hewn from a single onyx block for this occasion.

Gabriel Isak is a fine art photographer from Sweden. As part of the XV Florence Biennale, Isak will exhibit his photographs as one of the Guests of Honour and receive the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Award from the President. He creates images inspired by human psychology, dreams, the unconscious mind, and his own experiences. Within his minimalist compositions, Isak shows a nuanced sensitivity to the dualism between colour and the human psyche. Through his visual iconographies rich in symbolism and emotion, Isak aims to illuminate mental health and experiences that people dealt with daily.  

Isak’s 2020 photograph Under the Moon was selected as the key visual for this edition’s official poster and coordinated communication materials, appearing in various public spaces across Italy.

Matteo Burani is an animation director born in Bologna in 1991. A self-taught artist, he began working in stop-motion in 2010 by founding Studio Croma, where he contributed as a puppet maker and character designer. Since 2017, he has directed music videos, commercials, and short films, and he currently oversees the puppet department at Studio Croma, managing the writing and direction of all projects.

Playing God

A short film directed by Matteo Burani, animated by Arianna Gheller, produced by Arianna Gheller (IT) & Nicolas Schmerkin (FR). The story explores the ambiguity of subjective judgment and chaotic decision-making: a Sculptor creates a work he deems imperfect and abandons it; the sculpture tries to follow him but self-destructs, ultimately finding acceptance among other rejected works. The narrative is realised through puppet animation, clay animation, and pixilation, with a directorial style and editing reminiscent of live action, highlighting the tactile and sensory quality of the sculptures.

National premiere screening of the short film.

HOME, the entwined vision and collaboration of Adam Larsen (filmmaker) and Sue Schroeder (dancemaker), exists within a metaphorical context, connecting the foundations of human existence—home, the body and nature—as inextricably linked, and acts as a record of a search for truth and the native beauty of reality. Using the architectural constructs of a home to inspire and awaken context, our relationship to the earth and one another are experienced viscerally through the integration of film, architecture and the moving body. Illustrated as a large arc, our story stretches between finding and losing oneself, reflections on the places we call "home," with an emphasis on nature in human nature.

Following the premiere screening of HOME, a live performance will be presented adjacent to the screening. A series of performance vignettes nestled within the Sala delle Grotte at Fortezza da Basso, the performance brings the experience of nature inside, magnifying moments experienced in brief within the film itself. Each vignette exists as a living installation—bringing to life the essence, images, objects and human beings within the film, HOME.

The exhibition will be closed to the public for the entire day on Monday, October 20.

On the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale, internationally renowned artist and filmmaker Tim Burton  will be awarded the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to visual art.

The award ceremony will take place in the presence of the artist, as part of a special event.

Discussion with participating artists and designers on the exhibition theme "The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design."

In an ocean of AI-generated light and shadow, we push the boulder once more. This piece intertwines AI-born visuals with the raw act of performance art, re-weaving the myth of Sisyphus for a new age. Within the endless cycle, it reveals the absurdity and dignity that blaze forth when life stands against the void.

A session dedicated to exploring strategies and tools and for fundraising in the art world and its market, with a particular focus on the opportunities available to artists and professionals in the global context.

Dr. Irene Sanesi will guide participants through an overview of the most widespread and innovative practices, offering concrete tools for developing effective fundraising strategies. The talk will also cover an analysis of the main funding sources available, along with best practices for building a long-term relationship with patrons, institutions, and collectors within the contemporary art system.

- Introduction to Fundraising

- The Different Fundraising Sources: the fundraising markets

- The Strategic Fundraising Plan

- Building Long-Term Relationships with Patrons

Sergio Maltagliati (1960) is a multimedia artist and composer, among the first in Italy to explore interactive digital scores and visual music. A student of Pietro Grossi, a pioneer of electronic music and computer music, he has developed a body of work that connects image, sound, and interaction, ranging from net-art to generative music, from multimedia installations to digital performances.

This project presented at the XV Florence Biennale is conceived as a tribute to John Cage, master of silence and creative freedom. Three performances, each lasting the symbolic 4’33”, explore listening, action, and collective participation, weaving historical memory with contemporary digital languages. In line with this edition’s theme, the project connects silence and sound, individual and community, memory and technology, offering the audience a poetic and collective experience —intimate yet open to the future.

Portrait of John Cage: The Globe and Mail

Portrait of Sergio Maltagliati: Public domain / © Sergio Maltagliati

Light and darkness are the very essence of Rembrandt's art. With these elements, he captured like no other artists the human expression. At first he was admired for the truthfulness and honesty of his paintings. Unfortunately, as society became richer, tastes changed. Now his patrons expected to be flattered and "beautified" in their portraits, but Rembrandt insisted on painting reality as he saw it. Because of his uncompromising honesty, Rembrandt was abandoned by his patrons and forced to declare bankruptcy and sell his house and art collections. He ended with nothing, so poor, he had to sell the tomb of his beloved wife Saskia to survive. As a last humiliation, his masterpiece The Conspiracy of the Batavians, was rejected. He had to cut it into small pieces to sell. Gregorio Luke will delve into the world of this tragic genius, shedding light on his tumultuous life and his magnificent art.

Yue Tang is a Chinese theatre director, playwright, and performer based in London. She graduated from the Directing Department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and holds an MA in World Theatres from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her work bridges theatre and performance art, blending poetic surrealism with reflections on human desire and transformation.

Emerging from Yue Tang’s physical theatre piece The Burnt Butterfly and echoing Zhuangzi’s dream of the butterfly, this performance reflects on desire — a force that both gives and consumes life.

Through the rhythm of breath, it unveils how tenderness and destruction can coexist within the same impulse, and how the longing to connect may also contain the seed of fracture.

Neither moral nor tragic, the work pauses at the threshold of human desire — where creation and dissolution share the same breath.

Artist / Director / Concept: Yue Tang

Associate Director / Movement Director: Jonathan Layton

Performers: Elisabeth Tu, Jonathan Layton, Keyuan Zhang, Yue Tang

Florence Biennale Design Days is a two-day event dedicated to the dialogue between creativity and manufacturing, featuring renowned national and international designers who have collaborated with companies representing the excellence of Italian production. The meetings offer a unique opportunity to explore different experiences and perspectives, connecting design culture with artisanal and industrial know-how in a discussion that delves into processes, innovation, and tradition. Within this program, the prestigious Leonardo da Vinci Award takes place, which this year is presented to designer Patricia Urquiola, a leading figure on the international scene, celebrated for her ability to reinterpret materials, techniques, and languages in a contemporary way. The Design Days thus reaffirm their role as a moment of encounter and inspiration for professionals, students, and enthusiasts, highlighting the value of design as a bridge between culture, business, and society.

Gabriele Goretti (DESTeC – University of Pisa) and Architect Silvia Fanticelli.

Gabriele Goretti is an Associate Professor at the DESTEC Department (Department of Energy, Systems, Territory, and Construction Engineering) at the University of Pisa, specializing in the scientific-disciplinary field ICAR/13 - Industrial Design. His current research focuses on design innovation for high-end manufacturing districts. He collaborates with various departments within the School of Engineering, developing digital platforms to foster innovation in both the production and institutional sectors.

At the University of Pisa, he teaches courses in Fundamentals of Design Studio, Design for the Circular Economy, and Interior Design within the Bachelor's Degree Program in Engineering for Industrial Design.

From 2020 to 2023, he served as Associate Professor in product and fashion design strategy for the high-end sector at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China. During this time, his research focused on design innovation in collaboration with local companies and institutions in the Jiangsu area, promoting craftsmanship culture and technology transfer in manufacturing districts. He taught courses in Design Management, Design Thinking, and Design Processes and Methods in the fields of product and interaction design.

Silvia Fanticelli is an architect and designer with a degree from the University of Florence. After early experience with Claudio Nardi Architects, she spent ten years at Piero Lissoni Associati in Milan as a senior architect, developing a design approach rooted in research, art–design crossover, and meticulous attention to detail.

Now an independent professional, she works across interior and product design, visual setups, and creative direction for major Italian brands such as Molteni&C, Gallotti&Radice, Salvatori, and Atlas Concorde. Her international work has taken her to cities like Dubai, Miami, and Beirut. Deeply inspired by art and craftsmanship, she maintains a strong connection with Marrakech, where she collaborates with local artisans on hospitality projects.

Founder and CEO of LUCA DINI Design & Architecture, Luca Dini (Florence, 1967) has been working in the yachting world for over thirty years, focusing on the exterior and interior design of superyachts and megayachts. His passion was sparked in Livorno, where as a young man he was captivated by the famous yacht Nabila. After a formative experience at architect Pierluigi Spadolini’s studio, he founded his own practice in Florence in 1996, quickly becoming one of the leading figures in international yacht design. In recent years, he has expanded his work to architecture and urban design, with projects such as Sindalah Island (NEOM, Saudi Arabia) and major developments in Albania. Today, the studio has over 50 professionals and ranks among the top firms in Italy by revenue.

Laura Andreini

Architect and Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban Composition at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Florence, where she graduated with an honours degree in 1990 and was awarded her PhD in 1997. In 1988, together with Marco Casamonti and Giovanni Polazzi she founded Archea in Florence, which was joined by Silvia Fabi in 2001. Archea Associati is a design studio in which more than 180 architects collaborate, operating from offices in Florence, Rome, Milan and Genoa. Thanks also to the collaboration with partner companies in Beijing, Dubai, Tirana and Sao Paulo, the studio has realised works in Urban Planning, Landscaping, Architecture, Design, Yacht design, Interior Design and Graphic Design, all over the world. 

In 2011, the Forma publishing house entrusted her with the conception and direction of the "ONE" series dedicated to contemporary Italian architecture. Since January 2012 she has held the position of Editorial Director of the same publishing house and is the editor of the series "On the road", published by Forma Edizioni and dedicated to the cities of the world. Since 2022, she has been President of the Cultural Association Rifugio Digitale E.T.S., dedicated to promoting contemporary art and visual culture through exhibitions and multidisciplinary initiatives.

A conversation with the interior designer, who will present interior and product design projects developed in Tuscany in collaboration with local companies.

Michele Vitaloni, interior designer, art director, and architectural designer, is the founder and creative director of Vitaloni + Partners, a multidisciplinary studio rooted in Forte dei Marmi with an international reach spanning London and St. Moritz. Today, the studio is made up of 16 professionals — architects, interior designers, and product designers — a true creative family.

His distinctive hallmark is the fusion of poetry and technique: every project becomes a narrative that weaves together material, light, and nature. Having grown up among the marbles of Carrara, the flowers cultivated by his mother, the maritime pines, and the rationalist lines of 1930s villas, he transforms Versilia’s heritage into a contemporary language. From resorts to private residences, from retail to hospitality spaces, his work is always about research, attention to detail, and emotion — scenographies that remain timeless. Today, he is opening two new worlds: product design, with prestigious collaborations including Antonio Lupi and Salvatori, and yachting, signing the first complete interior for a 42-meter Benetti.

Prof. Lorenzo Imbesi - SID Società Italiana del Design e Cumulus Association

Lorenzo Imbesi is Full Professor of Design at Sapienza University of Rome, where he is the Director of Sapienza Design Research and the Chair of the PhD program in Service Design for the Public Sector. Currently, he serves as the President of the Italian Scientific Design Society SID (societaitalianadesign.it), the President of the Global Cumulus Association (cumulusassociation.org), and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Design (eadresearch.org).

The designer and architect will share her creative journey, spanning interior design, industrial design, and artistic research.

Elisa Ossino is an architect and designer. Sicilian, she trained in Milan, where she studied at the Polytechnic. In 2006 she founded Elisa Ossino Studio, with which she works on residential and retail interiors, product design, exhibitions and creative direction. Her research combines geometric abstraction, monochromes, metaphysical and surrealist references, creating a coherent and allusive relationship between space, identified by the strong stroke of her sign, light and objects. Over the years, Elisa Ossino has collaborated with important international companies including Amini, Boffi, Cartier, Cristina Rubinetterie, De Castelli, De Padova, Dieffebi, Fantini, Foscarini, Hermes, Living Divani, Molteni, Porro, Rubelli, Salvatori, Trussardi, V-Zug, Viccarbe, Zanotta, and is Creative Director of Amini and Dieffebi.

She has received prestigious national and international awards, including Red Dot Award in the Best of the Best category, Honorable Mention at Compasso d’Oro ADI, iF Design Award, Edida Award and Best of Interiors of Elle Decor Italy. She has been a lecturer for several years at the IUAV University of Venice at the Master’s Degree Interactive Media for Interior Design and at Istituto Marangoni at the Master’s Degree in Product Design. She has given talks at the Politecnico of Milano and at H-Farm.

A talk by Gumdesign studio, which combines research, craftsmanship, and experimentation within the realm of contemporary design.

Laura Fiaschi (Carrara, 1977) designer e grafica

Gabriele Pardi (Viareggio, 1966) - architetto

They deal with architecture, industrial design, graphics, art direction for companies and events.

Among their clients Altrovolume, AntonioLupi, Biennale di Venezia, Bormioli Rocco, Colle Vilca, De Castelli, De Vecchi Milano 1935, Fiat, F.lli Guzzini, Friul Mosaic, Invicta, Lagostina, Lavazza, Martinelli Luce, Max&Co, Mercedes-Benz, Museo Pecci, Nastro Azzurro, Pimar, Red Bull Italia, San Pellegrino, Savema, Scab, Serafino Zani, Styl’Editions, Swarovski Italia, Triennale di Milano, Yoox.

They have won many prizes, among which A Matter of Stone 2024, German Design Award 2024, Big See Award 2023 and Archiproducts Award Design 2022 for Dress_Code by S.Cab; Archiproducts Design Award 2023 for Mosaico_Pavone by styl’editions; New Best Comumnicator Award 2023 for stand Savema a Marmomac, the Big See Award 2023 and the Archiproducts Design Award 2022 for Dress_Code collection designer for S.Cab,the Award Edida 2021 for the Borghi collection designed for AntonioLupi, Adi Booth Design Award 2021  for stand Antoniolupi, Nomination Edida 2020 for the Gessati collection designed for AntonioLupi, Adi Booth Design Award 2019 category Research for stand Styl'editions, the Premio Donna del Marmo 2019, Best Communicator Award 2014, the First Prize at the Creativity International Competition "Swiss in Cheese".

They are involved, in the University area, with open classes, workshops and they cooperate with the "Free University" of Bolzano, the Cried of Milan, the Ied of Florence and Rome; since 2017 they are coordinators and teachers of the first Masters in Design - Innovation and Product for High-Crafts at the IED Florence; in 2025 they become professors for the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Engineering for Industrial Design.

Renowned designer and architect Patricia Urquiola shares her story in a conversation with Silvia Robertazzi, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Maison, offering insights and reflections on the visions and milestones of her international career.

On the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale, internationally acclaimed designer and architect Patricia Urquiola will be awarded the International "Leonardo da Vinci" Lifetime Achievement Award for Design, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to contemporary design.

The award ceremony will take place in the presence of the designer, as part of a special event.

Florence Biennale Design Days is a two-day event dedicated to the dialogue between creativity and manufacturing, featuring renowned national and international designers who have collaborated with companies representing the excellence of Italian production. The meetings offer a unique opportunity to explore different experiences and perspectives, connecting design culture with artisanal and industrial know-how in a discussion that delves into processes, innovation, and tradition. Within this program, the prestigious Leonardo da Vinci Award takes place, which this year is presented to designer Patricia Urquiola, a leading figure on the international scene, celebrated for her ability to reinterpret materials, techniques, and languages in a contemporary way. The Design Days thus reaffirm their role as a moment of encounter and inspiration for professionals, students, and enthusiasts, highlighting the value of design as a bridge between culture, business, and society.

A talk dedicated to the work of the Florentine designer, who combines material research with contemporary sensibility.

Marco Guazzini is an Italian designer who weaves together innovation, memory, and culture in projects that blend poetic research with design rigor. After spending several years in New York, he opened his own atelier in Milan—the city where he had studied Industrial Design— before relocating his studio to Pietrasanta, Tuscany. He collaborates with international galleries and companies, and in 2016 the Vitra Design Museum welcomed into its permanent collection Marwoolus®, a material he created that combines wool and marble. His design practice explores materials, the connection to place and memory, with constant attention to sustainability and innovation. His works celebrate artisanal tradition and reinterpret historical references with a contemporary sensibility, resulting in experimental and timeless objects. He teaches at NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, and IED in Florence.

Presentation of the architecture and design studio, with a focus on innovative and interdisciplinary projects.

B-Arch, founded in 2000 by Sabrina Bignami and Alessandro Capellaro, works at the intersection of architecture and interior design, blending languages and functions into a unified design identity. The studio’s projects, featured in both Italian and international publications, range from residential and hospitality sectors to restaurants, retail, and industrial interventions. At the core of their research is contamination, understood as a dialogue between disciplines, uses, and diverse styles.

Alessandro began his career in Barcelona at Pep Llinàs’ studio, before returning to Italy to complete a doctorate in Florence. Alongside his professional practice, he is also active in teaching, with academic experiences in Italy, China, and the USA.

Sabrina combines her professional work with social commitment to help create a more equitable and inclusive profession, with particular focus on women in the field. In 2021, she was selected by Rebel Architects among the 1,000 most influential women in Italian architecture. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Fondazione Toscana Teatro Metastasio.

Dainelli Studio was founded by Leonardo and Marzia Dainelli, a designer and architect duo specialized in product and interior design.

The studio designs both private and public spaces and has prestigious collaborations with leading furniture brands. A continuous commitment to aesthetics and form defines their approach, never static, always evolving. Their refined design is deeply attuned to human proportions and the harmony between shapes, colors, and materials. Every project is rooted in a layered design culture, combined with a profound knowledge of both industrial and artisanal production techniques and processes.

Dainelli Studio stands out for its ability to simultaneously engage with both the environment and the individual product. This allows for the creation of unique, bespoke projects, ranging from custom-designed pieces to the complete aesthetic vision of an entire living space.

A conversation on experiences in urban regeneration and design applied to new spaces for cultural production.

Michelangelo Giombini (pictured in the bottom right), head of product development & CEO MTDM Architect. He has worked for twenty years with the celebrated design magazine Interni (Mondadori) developing the FuoriSalone in Milan and diCusing it with numerous projects aimed at promoting the Culture of design, in Italy and abroad. In 2018 he joined Manifattura placemakers to deal with the creation of the real estate product, communication and marketing and since 2021 he has also held the role of co-CEO of MTDM and Head of HR. Manifattura placemakers is currently involved in the transformation of the Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence, one of the major urban regeneration operations underway in Italy, the oCice renovation project BiM in Milan and the development of Pellicano Hotels chain.

Q-BIC is a multidisciplinary design studio founded in Florence in 2005 by architect Luca Baldini and designer-artist Marco Baldini. The studio works across architecture, interior and graphic design, with a focus on fashion events, theatrical scenography, and temporary installations. Known for its innovative use of materials and stylistic experimentation, Q-BIC merges traditional techniques with a contemporary language. Over time, it has built strong expertise in commercial spaces for food and hospitality, as well as urban regeneration through the reuse of former industrial buildings.

Born in Madrid in 1980, David López Quincoces graduated in Art in 2004 at the Complutense University of Madrid. After completing a master's degree in Interior Design at the prestigious Milan Polytechnic, he began a long collaboration with Piero Lissoni. At the same time, in 2008 he founded his own studio Quincoces-Dragó & Partners, based in Milan and Madrid. Quincoces-Drago & Partners is an award-winning architecture and design studio founded in 2010 by architects David López Quincoces and Fanny Bauer Grung. Based in Milan, the studio specializes in residential, commercial and hospitality projects with a focus on high-end interiors and furniture design. Quincoces-Drago's design approach blends clean lines, neutral color palettes, and a harmonious mix of contemporary and vintage elements. With a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, the studio aims to create timeless, livable spaces that reflect the personality and needs of each client.

Lecture by the renowned architect and interior designer, focusing on his visionary and experimental approach.

Simone Micheli, internationally renowned and award-winning architect, founded the Architecture Studio in 1990 and in 2003 he created the architecture company Simone Micheli Architectural Hero together with Roberta Colla. The company is based in Florence, Milan, Puntaldìa, Dubai, Rabat and Busan. His professional activity ranges from master plans and architecture to interior, from design to visual, through graphics, communication and event organization. He holds masters, conferences, workshops and lectures at universities, cultural institutes and institutions in many cities around the world. His creations, always sustainable and environmentally conscious, are characterized by a strong identity and uniqueness. 

Roberta Colla, CEO of the company Simone Micheli Architectural Hero and coordinates the Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication. Skilled designer and very attentive to new trends, Roberta is responsible for visual and graphic design, communication and teaching. She attends worldwide fairs and meetings and holds international events, lectures, conferences and workshops in prominent cultural institutes and universities including POLI. Design, NAD, University of Florence, Bicocca University, SPD Polytechnic School of Design, Italian Design Institute (IDI), IULM of Milan, Accademia del Lusso and many others.

In harmony with the theme of the XV Florence Biennale 2025, “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness”, dedicated to the coexistence of opposites as an essential condition for life and the development of every living being, UNICEF Italy presents the project Milk Teeth. This ten-minute short film portrays the inner conflict experienced by Afghan girls, torn between opposing forces during the delicate transition from childhood to early adolescence.

Milk Teeth was conceived by director Giuseppe Carrieri and UNICEF Ambassador Alessandra Mastronardi, who visited Afghanistan in 2023. The protagonist, Fatima, imagines fantastical ways to escape her fate: soaring freely like an heron or attempting to keep her wobbly teeth in place using plaster from her dentist father’s workshop. These dreamlike sequences leave the audience with a mix of sorrow for Afghan girls’ reality and hope for a future change.

Within the conceptual framework of the XV Florence Biennale, “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness,” this talk explores the dualism between visibility and invisibility in a field that is often overlooked yet essential: logistics. It highlights how logistics can become a vehicle for storytelling, inclusion, and social transformation through art, design, and digital innovation.

Starting from the transportation of artworks—an operation as invisible as it is crucial to cultural experience—the talk reveals the complexity, care, and craftsmanship that make possible the movement and safeguarding of Italy’s artistic heritage.

The documentary Near Light by Niccolò Salvato (UK, 2023) will be screened for the first time in Florence on the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale.

The documentary focuses on Mattia, a young man convicted murderer who, after spendinging seven and a half years in one of Europe's maximum security prisons, is given a chance of redemption when he is allowed to attend in-person classes for a Master's degree course in Marketing at Bocconi University, the best Italian Business School.

Selected by the Florence Biennale's Curatorial Board for its ability to make us reflect on very sensitive issues, such as the re-education of prisoners and their reintegration into society, and for its adherence to the theme of the XV edition, which is dealing with dualisms (such as good and evil) emphasises the need for an overall vision and to rise towards the highest ideals, Near Light shows a path that sees evil turn into good and despair into hope.

The film Die Höhenluft - für Alle und Keinen (Pure Air of the Mountain—For All and No One) by Mika'Ela Fisher (Germany, 2023) will be screened as a national première at the XV Florence Biennale.

With extensive references to Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the film focuses on two opposing characters (their names, Angra and Spenta, come from Zoroastrian theology and characterise cosmogonic dualism) who represent two sides of the same coin. From the top of a mountain, Angra and Spenta observe the humans below, unwitting targets of their sick game, and pull the strings of these poor puppets, torn between good and evil. Die Höhenluft - für Alle und Keinen is a curious film, characterised by a certain cynical humour, which questions our free will and which also represents a reflection "on the human being; which I see as torn, manipulable, but still responsible for his actions and decisions," as the director stated.

The film Tango en Penumbras (Tango in Twilight) by Doctor Teresa Mular (Argentina, 2024) will be screened as a national première during the XV Florence Biennale.

In this film, Teresa takes us on a journey into the life of a 74-year-old chemist who, at the age of 28, tragically lost his sight—presumably due to a prank that has gone awry at a postgraduate party. After decades of living in darkness, a serendipitous attempt at tango becomes a beam of light, illuminating his world in ways he never imagined. His fascination with tango's movements and music is both passionate and hauntingly captivating. Each steps brings him joy and hope, filling him with newfound self-confidence, self-respect, and a sense of self-worth.

Reflecting on the theme of the XV edition, Teresa employs her distinctive storytelling approach to explore the dichotomy between light and darkness, followed by the duality of the visible and the invisible. Through this, she challenges the notion that sight is the only path to experiencing beauty or attaining physical and spiritual fulfilment.

David Alfaro Siqueiros is a master of duality. He was a soldier and an artist. He fought in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Civil War and painted powerful murals. He was a dogmatic Stalinist, who tried to assassinate Leon Trotsky, and at the same time an innovative artist, who pioneered new materials, photography in art and a dramatic use perspective. Inspired by Italian futurists, his paintings appear to move as we move in front of them or seem to come out of their frames and reach us. Siqueiros was imprisoned and exiled for his political ideals, but he is also a major influence in contemporary art, from Abstract Expressionism, to Pop and Chicano art. Because of his controversial politics, Siqueiros has never received the recognition he deserves. This lecture by Gregorio Luke will shed light on the many things young artists today can learn from Siqueiros.

Alejandra Castro Rioseco — prominent art collector as well as Founder and Executive Director of MIA ART COLLECTION — will deliver a special talk titled Women Artists Between Light and Darkness. In this presentation, she will share personal insights and discoveries from a lifetime engaging with works by women artists — many of whom have long remained in the shadows of art history. From forgotten pioneers to rising contemporary voices, this conversation explores how women have created powerful work in the margins, and how collectors, curators, and institutions are now rethinking their place in the spotlight. A rare glimpse into the intersection of passion, advocacy, and an evolving art market.

This educational workshop is built on an immersive and interactive methodology, where children take an active role in their own learning process. Through the fusion of art and play, they are encouraged to express emotions and thoughts in a spontaneous and creative way.  Contemporary art—with its diverse languages and expressive tools—offers a rich ground for exploring self-expression and the relationship between the individual and their environment. At the heart of the workshop is the use of artificial light as a means to define space and create imagined scenarios. Within this context, children become “explorers of the imagination,” transforming their surroundings through light and materials, while building confidence in themselves and their creative abilities. 

In addition to the 10.30 am session, three more sessions will take place on 26 October:

- 12 pm

- 4 pm

- 5 pm

Through the documentary,“The Sacred Art Movement”, the Nigeria director sheds light on the lives and remarkable collaborative efforts of artists and artisans who dedicated their lives to preserving the Osun-Osogbo forest and cultural heritage under the supervision of Susanne Wenger, an Austrian born sculptor now recognized as the pioneer of the “New Sacred Art Movement” in Osogbo, western Nigeria. Several important themes are raised through this film including human values and ethics, environmental protection and social responsibility, the role of Susanne Wenger, an outsider, and the complex issues surrounding the coexistence of art and traditional Yoruba practice in the deeply Christian and Islamic context of Nigeria. 

During each edition of the Florence Biennale, the exhibiting artists and designers who stand out for their works in the competition in the relevant categories receive the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" (for Art) and "Leonardo da Vinci" (for Design) awards assigned by the International Jury made up of distinguished personalities from the world of art and culture. This solemn event celebrates excellence, creativity, and contemporary culture, in the presence of officials, the International Jury, and invited guests.

The XV Florence Biennale will conclude with the official closing ceremony.