Florence, Italy is one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve visited Florence a number of times and I really need no excuses to always go back. However, I’ll have one reason more next time – GUCCI MUSEO is now OPEN!
A year of events in celebration of Gucci’s 90th anniversary culminated on September 28th, 2011, with the official public opening of the GUCCI MUSEO (guccimuseo.com) inside the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia located inFlorence’s Piazza della Signoria (one of the most beautiful city squares I’ve ever seen!)
Piazza della Signoria
It was in 1921 that Guccio Gucci opened his company and first store in Florence with a dream and a vision that still lives on today through a heritage of icons and values that continue to inspire the House.
Conceived by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, the GUCCI MUSEO is a living space encapsulating the House’s “Forever Now” philosophy. A permanent exhibition from its rich and culturally significant archive, which has been preserved and amplified throughout the years, will be juxtaposed with contemporary art installations supported by the Pinault Foundation. An icon store, bookshop, caffè and gift shop complement the exhibition spaces to create a destination location for visitors.
Frida Giannini said, “Ever since my first visit to the archive when I joined Gucci nine years ago, I have felt a deep commitment to the House’s legacy and have wanted to expose the rich archive in celebration of the remarkable narrative behind so many of our iconic products and motifs. As Gucci turns 90 this year, I felt it was the right moment to inaugurate our own space, where hidden treasures would be open to public viewing for the first time. In this way the GUCCI MUSEO will both conserve and celebrate the most significant moments in the history of the House, providing an official account of its origins, evolution and cultural influence.”
The Renaissance Palace, Palazzo della Mercanzia, dating back to 1337 and still today a symbol of the Florentine arts and craftsmanship, spans from Piazza della Signoria to Piazza San Firenze and originates from two splendid buildings, respective offices of the Ufficio della Condotta degli Stipendiati and the Università dei Mercanti and Ufficio della Mercanzia, in the time of the Medici. The internal restoration that has taken place respects the building’s history through the use of materials which integrate naturally with the original architecture.
Palazzo della Mercanzia Exterior - Image Courtesy of Richard Bryant and Gucci
The GUCCI MUSEO spans1,715 square meters across three floors and is divided into different thematic rooms inspired by the House’s iconic motifs and symbols. While the ground and upper floors of the building present the public displays, the private basement houses the vault that contains the Gucci Archive: an immense collection of ready-to-wear, accessories, objects, documents and photographs, meticulously collected, cataloged, and conserved to document the creative universe and cultural influence of the House’s heritage.
The ground floor hosts the Gucci Caffè, a meeting space that not only welcomes visitors into the museum, but also provides a new and attractive gathering place for Florentines and visitors to the city alike. The menu will offer a varied selection of healthy dishes boasting entirely organic, local ingredients.
In the adjacent space there is the Bookstore, which will be managed in conjunction with Rizzoli, now coming to Florence adding to its other existing locations in New York, London and Milan. Thanks to this partnership, the GUCCI MUSEO will be offering publications for enthusiasts of art, fashion, photography and architecture, through a curated selection of contemporary and vintage works. Sharing Gucci’s values of tradition and innovation, Rizzoli’s involvement will ensure that the Bookstore becomes quickly recognised as an authoritative destination for book lovers.
The permanent exhibition space begins on the ground floor, where the theme Travel fills a large room with an exhibit of trunks, suitcases, accessories and articles created for the international jet-set, whose custom helped to bring international acclaim to Gucci in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. It was in fact “Valigeria e Articoli da Viaggio” (Suitcases and travel accessories) that defined Guccio Gucci’s first collections having himself been inspired by the luggage laden clientele arriving at London’s Savoy Hotel, where he found work as a porter in his earlier years.
The journey through the history of Gucci continues to the first floor, which is dedicated to the representation of other Gucci themes and icons. From the Flora World, the eternal motif that over time has spurred multiple interpretations and stylizations on a range of items; to Handbags, a thread of design and artisanal excellence that recollects historic handbag models, true cult objects sought after still today; to Evening, which unveils the dream of the evening gown and the magic of red carpet creations worn to prestigious events; and onto Precious, displaying unique clutches and rare valuables.
Flora World - Image Courtesy of Richard Bryant and Gucci
The Contemporary Art Space is also located on the first floor, where contemporary art works from selected artists will be exhibited in collaboration with the Pinault Foundation. The adjacent room will feature video and film installations from the most original and contemporary productions of “movie art,” as well as screenings both of landmark films that Gucci has helped to restore through its collaboration with Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation and documentaries for which Gucci has provided finishing funds through the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund.
The exhibition of the permanent collection continues on the second floor with Logomania, a space chronicling the evolution of the double G monogram, tracing a story within history, whose protagonist is the timeless graphic sign that has become an emblem of Made in Italy. The final themes of Lifestyle and Sport complete the museum journey with an ode to the House’s iconic symbols and products that have been inspired by the worlds of sport and leisure.
The GUCCI MUSEO was inaugurated during Milan Fashion Week on September 26th with an exclusive private dinner in the Palazzo Vecchio, one of Florence’s most historically important buildings and seat of the city’s municipal offices, located next to the Palazzo della Mercanzia. From September 28th the museum will open to the public and remain permanently open throughout the year. Admission is 6 Euros with 50% of each ticket sale benefitting a fund to help the City of Florence preserve and restore the city’s signature art treasures.
I SIMPLY CAN NOT WAIT TO VISIT!
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