Le Scapate: Female Body Rebirth After Breast Cancer at Villa Medicea della Petraia

The exhibition "Le Scapate. Donne oltre le ferite" by Eleonora Santanni (born 1964 in Montemurlo, Tuscany) addresses the artist's autobiographical experience of breast cancer, portraying women without heads as liberated from conventions and aesthetic norms. The site-specific show at Villa Medicea della Petraia (a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013) in Castello, near Florence, features installations, plastic sculptures, material paintings, and photographs. These works dialogue with Giambologna's statue "Venere-Fiorenza," symbol of Florence's beauty and strength. Supported by photographer Serena Gallorini, the "Scapate" are presented as "contemporary Venuses" displaying their scars as medals. The exhibition is sponsored by LILT (Florence section) and FIDAPA (Florence center section). Santanni describes the headless bodies as having renounced reason to confront the viewer and life with self-determination. Due to public success, the show has been extended until November 24, 2019. Guided tours by the artists are available by reservation.