5 March 2026
Florence
From January 27, 2026, to January 26, 2027, the rooms of Palazzo Castri 1874 in Florence will host Making Light, a solo exhibition by artist Simone Garofalo, curated by Loredana Barillaro. An exhibition that intertwines abstract painting, precious materials, and light—transforming the boutique hotel in Piazza dell'Indipendenza into an authentic space for artistic contemplation.
The meaning of "Making Light": building with light
The title of the exhibition encapsulates the very essence of Garofalo's research. Making Light evokes the act of building, of manufacturing — but what the artist builds is not solid matter: it is light. Each work is the result of meticulous attention to materials, in a continuous dialogue between surface, space, and luminosity.
The copious use of gold leaf—so typical of the Tuscan painting tradition—immediately recalls the golden backgrounds of Simone Martini and 14th-century painting, an era in which gold was not decoration but radiance, warmth, sacred energy. Garofalo takes up that legacy and projects it into the contemporary world, creating atmospheres suspended between the mystical and the abstract.
Between myth and contemporary art: the themes of the exhibition
The exhibition unfolds through a series of references ranging from classical mythology to the history of modern art. Among the main themes of the exhibition are:
- The myth of Daedalus and Icarus — flight, fall, the human desire to overcome one's limits
- Fourteenth-century Tuscan painting — evoked through golden surfaces and round formats reminiscent of the Renaissance birth tray, a symbol of birth and gift-giving
- Monet's water lilies — evoked in the delicate and enveloping chromatic atmospheres
- Kandinsky's geometry — present in the composition of circles, dots, and wavy lines
These references are never passive quotations. Garofalo traverses and reworks them, transforming them into a personal language in which fragmentation becomes the key to interpretation: a wound that is, at the same time, rebirth. As curator Loredana Barillaro writes, when faced with these works, we never know whether what we are observing is forming or disintegrating — and it is in this ambiguity that the power of the work lies.
Garofalo's palette: gold, blue, green, and black
The chromatic richness of the exhibition deserves special attention. Each color is chosen with intention, loaded with symbolic and visual meaning.
- Gold — precious in its light, evocative of space, capable of expanding surfaces and transforming them into luminous mirrors
- Blue — the sea, the sky, starry nights; the blue of ceilings frescoed by the masters of the past, the blue of the Virgin's mantle in iconographic tradition
- Green — the natural element, the memory of the countryside, of a bucolic world dotted with butterflies and bees, contrasting with a modernity where nature becomes artifice
- Black — depth and power, used in multi-material overlays where spirituality and knowledge merge
The pictorial gesture alternates moments of extreme lightness — as in watercolor, impalpable and transparent — with denser, more material interventions, where painting becomes body, weight, presence.
Light boxes: when art transcends two-dimensionality
One of the most innovative aspects of the exhibition is represented by the "light boxes": three-dimensional works in which LED neon, gold leaf, and antique wood come together in a surprising dialogue. Inside these compositions appears the symbol of infinity, a reflection on the passage of time and the complexity of a concept that has always been at the center of art, science, and philosophy.
In these works, Garofalo transcends the two-dimensionality of the canvas to create real environments of light—objects that do not merely represent space but inhabit it, shape it, and transform it. Time, in its unstoppable flow, finds a tangible and poetic form here.
An artistic journey between design and painting
Garofalo's training as a designer is clearly evident in his attention to composition and detail. The 'other' elements that the artist gracefully places on the surfaces — small marks, traces, fragments — function as clues to a journey in which the need to create becomes urgent and vital.
The artist moves on several fronts: from abstract painting on canvas to watercolors, from multi-material compositions to light installations. A coherent journey in which, once again, it is light—understood as a concept with multiple meanings—that sets the pace, interprets a visual symphony, and creates a privileged place to stop and listen.
Find out more by reading Small Zine, a contemporary art magazine.
Visiting the exhibition: practical information
Making Light | Solo exhibition by Simone Garofalo can be visited at Palazzo Castri 1874 in Florence:
- Dates: from January 27, 2026, to January 26, 2027
- Location: Palazzo Castri 1874, Piazza dell'Indipendenza 7, Florence
- Curator and critical text: Loredana Barillaro
- Admission: open to hotel guests and visitors
- Catalog of works: available in digital format on our website
Staying at Palazzo Castri 1874: art, beauty, and hospitality in the heart of Florence
Visiting Making Light is an even more intense experience when you choose to stay at Palazzo Castri 1874. Our elegant boutique hotel, located a few steps from Santa Maria Novella Station and the Duomo, combines the charm of a historic 19th-century residence with the comfort of a high-end facility.
The rooms and suites—from the Classic to the exclusive Brunelleschi Suite—are designed to offer a haven of tranquility and refinement. The Limonaia garden, with its lemon trees, palm trees, and centuries- l plants, is a hidden oasis where time slows down. And for those who want a moment of total well-being, the Palazzo Castri Spa offers facial and body treatments in an intimate and private setting.
Booking directly on the official website gives you access to exclusive benefits: the best rate guaranteed, a welcome drink on arrival, discounts at the Florentia Café restaurant and the Spa, as well as free drinks and snacks in your room.
Staying at Palazzo Castri is not just about sleeping in Florence: it means experiencing Florence through art, beauty, and hospitality—starting with the works of Simone Garofalo that illuminate its rooms.
Book your stay at Palazzo Castri 1874
