A new art space in the City of Art is always good news. The opening of the space OTTO, in which art is cultivated under the sign of artisanship and the everyday, becomes a genuine event for the whole city. For Florence in particular, in which art and artisanry have always been distinctive brands, and where the manufacturing tradition has developed under the sign of modernity. OTTO represents exactly the road which needs to be followed in order to transform art into a life-system, bringing to everyday object the Beauty which should always characterize life. A beauty, an art, which do not represent an accessory in life. We have learned and inherited this from our fathers, who didn’t wait for special occasions to produce extraordinary works, but who made the exceptional the rule for everyday life. From these same contents, Florence was born: we should proceed in this direction to make our city worthy of its glorious past and that “quality of life” which is sought so intensely today. A quality derived from beauty, attention to detail, awareness of the present and a sense of here and now. This principle has informed the history of art and of artisanship from the time before the Renaissance, passed on by famous prophets such as Gropius’ Bauhaus, to reach expression today such as those at home at OTTO. A cordial welcome, therefore, to Olivia Toscani and to the art space which she’s decided to share with the city of Florence, in the hope  that our union will be long and fruitful.

Mayor of Florence
Matteo Renzi