From April 2 to August 25, the exhibition “Firenze Déco: Atmospheres of the 1920s” celebrates the dialogue between Florentine craftsmanship and the international decorative avant-garde of the 1920s.
There is a precise moment in the history of the 20th century when the rigor of the past and the fervor of the future merge into a crystalline aesthetic, composed of broken lines, lustrous silks, and strict geometries. That period comes alive today in the monumental halls of Palazzo Medici Riccardi, which hosts the exhibition “Florence Déco. Atmospheres of the 1920s”. A journey through time that restores the city’s role as a capital of taste during an era of frenetic and fascinating transition. The exhibition, curated by Lucia Mannini and promoted by the Metropolitan City of Florence with organization by MUS.E, explores a brief yet intense decade that separates the end of the Great War from the shadow of the economic crisis of the 1930s.
A sensory journey that sees the Tuscan capital transform into an international laboratory of style, fashion, and fine craftsmanship.
While the Futurist avant-garde sought to break with tradition, Art Deco offered a different path: a cultured modernity that did not reject the finest craftsmanship but adapted it to new decorative needs. The exhibition unfolds through a selection of over 150 works, including ceramics, jewelry, textiles, furnishings, and advertising posters, which together form a cultural mosaic of extraordinary vibrancy.
The creations of Gio Ponti for the Richard-Ginori factory in Doccia stand out: porcelain pieces where neoclassical grace blends with modern irony. No less fascinating is the selection dedicated to Galileo Chini, an exceptional interpreter of an exotic and opulent style, and to Thayaht, the Florentine Futurist artist who, through his fashion designs and sculptures, embodies the drive toward contemporaneity and dynamism.
A large section is dedicated to fashion, which underwent a radical revolution in the 1920s: flowing dresses, ultra-light silks, and stage costumes that bear witness to the indissoluble bond between art and theater. In the frescoed rooms, visitors can admire exquisite garments studded with beads and the first iconic designs by Salvatore Ferragamo, who returned from the United States in 1927 to establish his creative empire. The shoes on display are true sculptures: spool heels and colorful silks tell the story of a city that wants to dance until dawn.
And then there are the furnishings and objects that become works of art: precious woods, mirrors, and lamps that tell the story of the birth of a new concept of living, where luxury is no longer excess, but balance. The exhibition also offers an immersive journey through graphics and design. The advertising posters of the era, with their flat colors and bold geometries, tell the story of the birth of consumer society and elite tourism.
It is the image of a place promoting itself, exporting to the world an idea of beauty that is the perfect synthesis of artisan tradition and the avant-garde.
“This exhibition restores Florence’s role as the capital of the applied arts,” explains curator Lucia Mannini. “It is not just about decorating homes, but about designing a new way of experiencing daily life.”
Collaboration with institutions such as New York University, Villa La Pietra, and the Richard Ginori Museum allows for the display of pieces rarely seen by the public, including exquisite jewelry worn by the international high society that chose Florence as its home of choice during that period.
Firenze Déco is the story of a city that managed to be modern without betraying itself, an invitation to let yourself be seduced by the atmosphere of a century ago, which still feels incredibly relevant today. An unmissable opportunity to rediscover Palazzo Medici Riccardi in a new light, where the austerity of the stone interacts with the brilliance of 20th-century glass and metals.
