Palazzo Buontalenti launches new EUI contemporary art project

A new cultural space is opening in Florence this week inside Palazzo Buontalenti, the Renaissance complex on Via Cavour that once housed Medici workshops and administrative offices.

The European University Institute (EUI) is inaugurating the venue with OPEN, a contemporary art exhibition and research project that aims to create a closer connection between the institute, the city and the public. The official public opening is scheduled for Thursday 8 and Friday 9 May, with evening events from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

The initiative is part of the programme leading to the EUI’s 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in Florence in 1976, the institute was created as a postgraduate and research centre focused on the social sciences, humanities and European studies. Over the years it has expanded across several historic buildings in and around Florence, becoming one of the city’s major international academic institutions. 

Palazzo Buontalenti returns to public use

The exhibition also marks a new phase in the restoration and reuse of Palazzo Buontalenti, located near Piazza San Marco. The building has undergone extensive works coordinated by Italy’s State Property Agency, which oversees publicly owned historic buildings.

According to the organisers, the restoration was designed not only to preserve the architecture but also to return the complex to public use through exhibitions, research activities and cultural events. 

Part of the newly reopened complex includes the Sala del Demanio, a permanent institutional space dedicated to projects involving the regeneration of public heritage buildings. The room opens with a photographic exhibition by British photographer Gina Soden focused on historic architecture undergoing transformation. 

Art and research in dialogue

Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Stefania Rispoli, OPEN brings together contemporary artists from Italy and abroad in dialogue with academic research carried out at the EUI. The participating artists include Agnieszka Polska, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Eglė Budvytytė, Elena Mazzi, Leone Contini and Riccardo Previdi. 

The conceptual framework of the exhibition is linked to research by historian and EUI alumna Johanna Gautier-Morin on what she describes as the “invisible economy” — forms of labour, care and value that are often excluded from traditional economic systems and measurements. 

The exhibition explores themes such as environmental exhaustion, social transformation, extraction, memory and collective care. The organisers describe the project as an evolving laboratory intended to combine academic work, artistic production and public participation. 

Installations across gardens, halls and courtyards

The exhibition route extends throughout the palace and its outdoor areas.

In the garden, visitors will encounter a light installation by Italian artist Riccardo Previdi and a site-specific botanical project by Florence-based artist Leone Contini, whose work often focuses on migration, food culture and shared knowledge systems. 

Inside the former rooms of the palace, the exhibition includes sculptures by Belgian artist Berlinde De Bruyckere examining vulnerability and the human body, videos by Lithuanian artist Eglė Budvytytė, and AI-generated visual narratives by Polish artist Agnieszka Polska. 

Another central part of the exhibition is a participatory installation by Elena Mazzi linked to her long-term research on the so-called Polar Silk Road and environmental transformation in Arctic regions. The installation is intended to function as a public meeting and workshop space during the exhibition period. 

The central courtyard of Palazzo Buontalenti will host evening projections by visual artist Vincenzo Capalbo accompanied by sound installations featuring music by composer Andrea Portera. 

Practical information

The inaugural event on 9 May 2026 is free and open to the public.

After the opening, the exhibition will remain accessible until 12 October. Regular opening hours are Mondays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a summer closure period still to be announced. Admission will be free. 

The exhibition space is located at Palazzo Buontalenti, Via Cavour 53/57, a short walk from Piazza San Marco and Florence’s Accademia Gallery.

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