Upon a Time: Five Women Artists Explore Identity at Eduardo Secci Gallery in Florence

The group exhibition 'Upon a Time' at Eduardo Secci Gallery in Florence brings together five women artists to address social differences and existential discomfort. Curated by Edoardo Monti, the show presents a new language blending creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship. The artists—Sahara Longe (Sierra Leone, 1994), Carla Gaiccio Darias (Italy, 1998), Daria Dmytrenko (Ukraine, 1993), Sophie Spedding (UK, 1995), and Bea Bonafini (Bonn, 1990)—tackle themes of violence, marginalization, racial discrimination, and intellectual alienation. Longe's paintings explore post-colonial social integration, using tennis as a symbol of freedom once reserved for white colonizers. Gaiccio Darias draws on 19th-century Italian and French literature and archival materials to depict harrowing past practices. Dmytrenko's large-scale surreal works channel myth and allegory with vibrant colors. Spedding portrays physical and psychological alienation through color. Bonafini uses industrial carpet and wool to critique media and economic bombardment, repurposing a holy water stoup as a vessel for pebbles and colored glass.