Contemporary and environmental art

Contemporary and environmental art in Valdelsa Valdicecina

Beyond tradition and outside museums the art forms that tell about the territory spread out in a new, different and free way.

A new idea of art that awaits you in Valdelsa Valdicecina! Many projects of contemporary and environmental art have made this land a cradle of innovations for artists and architects of international renown.

Walking through the streets of the small towns and in the countryside you will come across artwork, sculptures and buildings that will draw your attention: every piece carries with it an opportunity for thought on the space where it’s located and relates with the territory, enhancing its value and identity.

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Some architectural works reveal the industrial vocation of Valdelsa Valdicecina. It is so for Piazza Arnolfo in Colle Val d’Elsa, which bears the signature of Jean Nouvel, or the Magazzino Nervi at Saline di Volterra, where the genius of Pier Luigi Nervi is witnessed by the big cascades of salt that fall from the ceiling, charming and hypnotic.

Not to be missed are also the buildings designed by Giovanni Michelucci in the area of geothermal energy, such as the Cappella dei Lagoni at Sasso Pisano and the industrial village of Larderello, which with their stability contrast with the fading vapours of the Devil’s Valley.

The Light Itineraries, which are based in the medieval Rocca di Staggia, in Poggibonsi, are the deepest and most harmonious mix of ancient and modern, for an unmissable experience suspended in time.

Many artists have created site specific works that can be found through the picturesque alleyways and in the natural landscape where you might want to wander free. An example is the Geometries by Mauro Staccioli: huge coloured shapes spread around the countryside near Volterra and along the road leading to San Gimignano, or the seven pixelated men by Antony Gormley, which populate the most symbolic places of Poggibonsi.

Names of world renown, such as Kiki Smith and Anish Kapoor have left their mark in Valdelsa Valdicecina, while numerous wall paintings fill up the streets with messages and colours.

Even the woods are used as open-air art galleries, such as the Selva di Sogno, where the artist Deva Manfredo has created a world made of multicoloured stones, mosaics and fantasy.