You will find works of some well-known Italian street artists among the piazzas and historic streets of Florence. Each one of them communicating a humorous, thought provoking or unusual message.
You will see this art everywhere!
Three of the more notable artists that we observed and tracked on our walks were Blub, Clet and Exit/Enter.
Early in our Florence stay, we would come across these works by chance. As our stay continued, we would plan an itinerary based on the locations of their art. One advantage to this was that we found it to be the perfect way to explore more of Florence. We got to see all of the main sights and some of the smaller hidden places in between, all within the heart of the historical centre.
We loved walking through the streets looking for new street signs, doors and walls decorated with their art.
Blub
Blub is anonymous, his true identity is not known. He creates his work on paper and then attaches them to walls or residence doors. He calls his art ‘L’arte Sa Nuotare’ (Art Knows How to Swim).
His works feature pictures of famous figures from paintings or photographs, which he then alters by placing them underwater with a diving mask and bubbles. An interesting take on well-known famous works and pop culture.
Clet (Clet Abraham)
While walking through the streets of Florence you will notice the street signs. Clet is an artist known for his famous road sign sticker applications. He alters road signs with amusing graphic stickers that are sure to put a smile on your face. What is great about these pieces is that they leverage the contents of the street signs to create their scene. You’ll see what we mean in these photos.
Clet has a website, visit it here.
Exit/Enter
Exit/Enter is an artist, sometimes signed only with ‘K’, who mostly draws small stick figure-like people typically with a red balloon and in other cases, next to a red heart.
He mainly chooses ruined walls to spray paint his art and portrays a message of love or peace.
If you end up quite taken with the works of Clet, visit Clet Studio, 8r Via dell’Olmo, which sells prints, stickers and other pieces depicting his work. This shop also had a several Blub prints when we visited (2018). We bought a Clet stop sign magnet and a Blub print which now hangs in our house.
If you have an interest in street art, a free online map is available outlining the various places where you can find street art in Florence. Check it out, and we hope it gets you off to a great start with your exploring.