Tracey Emin's 'Sex and Solitude' Opens at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence

Tracey Emin's first Italian institutional exhibition, 'Sex and Solitude,' opened at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, which was recently acquired by the city. The show features 35 years of work, organized thematically rather than chronologically, including a neon sign on the facade, a bronze sculpture 'I followed you to the end' (2024) in the courtyard, and pieces from her 2024 White Cube show. Emin discusses the intrinsic connection between sex and solitude, her dissatisfaction with her 2007 Venice Biennale presentation, and her current happiness. The exhibition includes historic works like 'Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995' (destroyed) and 'My Bed,' alongside new paintings and embroideries. Influences from Egon Schiele, Edvard Munch, and Louise Bourgeois are evident. A key piece is 'Exorcism of the last painting I ever made,' reconstructing a 1996 performance where she painted naked for 3.5 weeks. The exhibition was four years in planning and aims to create something special for Florence.