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VIRTUAL RENAISSANCE
The art of Second Life and other virtual worlds

October 21, 2008 – January 7, 2009
Museum of Natural History at the University of Florence
Via del Proconsolo, 12, Firenze

The 2008 Festival of Creativity is dedicated to the theme “Visions, Voyages and Discoveries,” with special attention to virtual worlds – an excellent opportunity to travel in the alternative dimensions which, today, are at everyone’s fingertips. To this end, the festival has set aside an entire section devoted to the virtual world Second Life with, at its core, the exhibit Virtual Renaissance which opens four days prior to the start of the festival and continues for the two months following, from October 21, 2008 – January 7, 2009.

The exhibit, organized by Fondazione Sistema Toscana, is the brainchild of curator Mario Gerosa, a journalist and author of books on virtual realities as well as the founder of Synthtravels – the first travel agency which organizes tours in the virtual universe. Virtual Renaissance seeks to create a cultural contrast between the ethnography, anthropology and creative artifacts of primordiality, and the contemporary, artistic avantgarde active in social media and the virtual world. The aim is to bring these virtual/digital experiences into the “real” world, identifying the more significant examples of artistic expression in Second Life. Florence is an ideal location for an exhibit of this “new Renaissance,” considering its role as the birthplace of the first, great Renaissance and the staging ground of some of the most important revolutions in the history of art.

The residents, called avatars, of the Second Life universe are currently counted at 13 million, with a significant portion of the population experimenting with new, unprecedented expressive forms destined to become the latest tendencies and styles of the “real” world – as soon as they are legitimized by critics and the art market. Digital Impressionsim, Postkitsch, New Pop, Avatar Art, Iperformalismo, Ultranaif – these are just some of the new styles which are on the cusp of establishment. What is needed right now is a sort of iconographic atlas which consolidates these movements into recognizable categories, beginning the process of classifying the most representative proponents and key works of each genre. This type of project is truly pioneering. The debate on art in Second Life is just beginning now, and this exhibit is a true novelty. Paradoxically, despite a lack of official recognition for these new movements, private galleries and collectors are already actively engaging in a market for these virtual masterpieces.

The exhibit will be held at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Florence, a unique location which posed a number of challenges for the design of the exhibit. The result is a dynamic display which integrates the museum’s permanent collection with the works in Virtual Renaissance. The juxtaposition of contemporary, synthetic works with artifacts from various cultures and eras proposes these new works and their virtual cultural provenance as the most recent stop in our anthropological evolution.

A number of collateral events have been organized, transforming the museum into a point of cultural interaction for Florence and the world.

An auction has been organized with eBay and the Sergio Tossi Gallery in Florence, during which ten photos by virtual artists will be placed for bidding. The proceeds will be given to charity. The works will be viewable at the Fortezza da Basso during the days of the Festival of Creativity.

The Museum of Natural History is holding a conference on the subject “Art for avatars only?” which relates directly to the Virtual Renaissance exhibit and which has been coordinated by the exhibit’s curator, Mario Gerosa. A few of the artists represented in the exhibit will be present to recount their experiences. The conference will also offer the opportunity to participate directly in Second Life in a mixed-reality event. This initiative follows on the success of a similar event held at the Edison bookstore in Florence with the actual participation of Luca Nesti and Gianluca Nicoletti and the virtual participation of several avatars in Second Life.

At the beginning of the exhibit the city of Florence will experience the “Second Life Invasion” in which avatars will “invade” the city, offering themselves as ‘real’ guide sto the virtual world. As part of this project a treasure hunt has also been organized.

During the four days of the Festival a museum workshop will be offered with the opportunity for a more in-depth interaction with Second Life, as well as virtual cocktail hours on the islands of Tuscany and the Festival.

A catalogue is being printed by Already SRL and will be available online with the possibilità to personalize your copy by choosing your favorite work for the cover image. Throughout the period of the festival free gadgets will be distributed.


http://www.rinascimentovirtuale.com