The exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, San Marco and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana becomes an opportunity for an itinerary through art, spirituality and architecture
For those in search of emotion, Florence is the right destination at the moment — and not only because of its well-known Renaissance masterpieces, which continue to astonish even when seen for the umpteenth time. Until 23 August, visitors can explore “Rothko in Florence”, the exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi dedicated to the celebrated American artist of Latvian origin. Before entering, given how sweltering summer can be in Brunelleschi’s city, it is worth stopping for a refreshing drink and/or a snack at Strozzi Bistrò, located inside the palazzo itself. Here, the experience begins by gratifying both sight and taste, with interiors designed by Fabio Novembre and, perhaps, a tasting of Tuscan pecorino cheese served with honey, jam and toasted bread. At this point, visitors will be ready to enter the world of Mark Rothko (1903–1970), one of the most acclaimed artists in the world. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition is a unique project, conceived specifically for Palazzo Strozzi with the aim of celebrating the special bond between Rothko and Florence. The architecture of the palazzo and the city itself provide the ideal setting to explore how the artist interpreted the tension between classical rigour and creative impulse. Through colour, Rothko shaped a renewed spatial vision that moves beyond the two-dimensional limits of the canvas and, in this sense, comes close to architecture. “My father wanted viewers of his paintings to have the same religious experience that he had while creating them,” says Christopher Rothko. “Inspired by his travels to Rome and Florence, that spiritual element became even more central. Throughout the exhibition, we have created intimate rooms where the personal interaction with Rothko’s works is maximised and enhanced by their resonance with the historic rooms themselves.” The exhibition route at Palazzo Strozzi unfolds chronologically, allowing visitors to retrace Rothko’s entire career: from the 1930s and 1940s, marked by figurative works in dialogue with the languages of Expressionism and Surrealism, to the 1950s and 1960s, distinguished by the famous abstract canvases created through broad fields of colour, capable of deeply engaging the viewer through a vocabulary imbued with spirituality and poetry. The exhibition features works from prestigious private collections and from some of the world’s leading international museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Tate in London and the Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou in Paris.
Rothko’s experience is deeply connected to architecture. This is also demonstrated by his relationship with Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe, authors of the design for the Seagram Building in New York, where the artist was commissioned to create a series of mural paintings for the Four Seasons restaurant. To realise them, he rented a former gymnasium and built scaffolding with the same proportions as the restaurant walls. This experience led him to conceive painting as a form of architecture in its own right: a space capable of enveloping and engaging the viewer. From Palazzo Strozzi, the exhibition then extends to the Museo di San Marco, with five works displayed in as many cells frescoed by Beato Angelico, an artist greatly admired by Rothko, and to the Vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, where two works enter into dialogue with the space designed by Michelangelo.
After the visit, filled with beauty and poetry, visitors can treat themselves to a gourmet break at Il Magnifico, the restaurant of Il Tornabuoni, the five-star hotel from VOIhotels’ VRetreats collection, located literally two minutes on foot from Palazzo Strozzi. Here, they can experience the creativity of chef Simone Tarchi, who offers flavours rooted in Florentine tradition, reinterpreted with originality and an eye to contemporary trends. During the summer season, and until 31 October, the rooftop overlooking the roofs of Florence also hosts “Butterfly Contemporary Pizza”, the new project by Manuel Maiorano — already recognised by 50 Top Pizza and awarded Due Spicchi by Gambero Rosso for his “Fenice pizzeria contemporanea” in Pistoia. The concept offers an innovative take on pizza, combining soft doughs, contemporary cuisine and moments of conviviality.
Cover image: Rothko in Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, until 23 August 2026. Photo: Ela Bialkowska OKNO studio.
