Le Murate PAC in Florence enters new phase with expanded spaces and global focus

Le Murate PAC | PAC Progetti Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy, enters a new phase under director Valentina Gensini, with expanded spaces and a renewed curatorial program. The former prison complex, opened in 2014, will double its ground-floor area and become a 'cultural district' with a unified strategy. Renovations begin summer 2018, with new spaces opening in 2019. The 2018 program, titled 'Global identities. Postcolonial and cross-cultural narratives,' features residencies and exhibitions including Barthélémy Toguo (February 15), a Korean collaboration, Lithuanian artists curated by Matteo Innocenti, 'Macao: The impossible black tulip,' and Florentine artist Lisa Batacchi. Le Murate hosted 313 artists in residence in 2017 across 30 programs. All events are free. The complex will open to the public on March 25 for the FAI Spring Day. A forthcoming essay coordinated by Politecnico di Milano includes Le Murate as a case study for European prison reuse.