This week I've been trying to venture out of my comfort zone and start going to events my professors are recommending! I'll have more on this next week after a film festival I'm planning on going to but this week I was also able to attend a few events with friends. For one thing, there was an open mic on Monday at a local hostel that was very interesting as it was a lot of short stories and poetry as well as local musicians performing. I think what was coolest about this was the energy and interest of the people in the hostel but also the amount of talented performers that were there! Some of the musicians that performed were great and a majority of the vocalists were acapella - including my friend Julia.
Another night I had the opportunity to go to 2 gallery openings as well - one at my local college and another at the college my Installation and Performance art professor is working at. The gallery openings at my school are pretty interesting because the artists are required to be there. There have been a number of exhibitions, including Spazio Traccia - which was a reflection on contemporary social dynamics and technological network. There was also White by Stefano Amantini which was a series of photographs taken during the winter of 2009 dedicated to the Dolomites (a mountain range located in northeastern Italy). This most recent exhibition was painting, drawing, and mixed media by Anna Capolupo. It's been really nice to talk to the artists themselves at all of these events and understand they're thinking - for instance with the White series this was unique in that the majority of photography done of the Dolomites are in the summer as that's it's most beautiful season.
The second exhibition I was able to attend was a consideration of what it means when we name ourselves - once again curated by my performance professor at his other school by his other students. While the exhibition itself was interesting what was even more exciting was talking to everyone there! I got to speak to a couple of Italian students and get closer with them and this was really exciting for me - even if it was scary.
What I'm realizing is it's less difficult than I realized to meet local Italians but it really is about taking advantage of the events my professors are mentioning - which is one reason why I'm really excited about this upcoming film festival. I think the first half of this semester was primarily about getting to know the city and finding a solid foundation of friends but I think the second half is really about exploring what Florence has to offer more in depth - such as things like local jazz clubs and bars with live performances and going to the concert halls. There's also the consideration of traveling by myself which, especially after last week, I'm much more open to doing! With that said, below are some photos I've been taking in an attempt to take some more photos at night here!