Bargello Projected Storytelling

Turning the Bargello inside out.
The Bargello National Museum in Florence, Italy contains a vast collection of objects, sculptures, and painting that reflect centuries of the Florentine history. Sadly, the Museum has a low exposure, and most people don't know about its existence. The institution, in collaboration with Parsons Paris, asked us for a design proposal that could potentially increase the visibility of the museum.

Design Proposal

Our proposal was a projection mapping over the building, showing the history and treasures that the Bargello National Museum safeguards in its interior. The projection was planned to be displayed every Saturday night for two hours, capturing the attention of locals and visitors.

Historical Background

The museum is an often overlooked institution that offers a nice contrast to the more known ones. It has undergone many transformations - either due to destruction by fire, flood, or the conscious decisions to convert the building. Each space has experienced a distinct evolution and had different functions through time. Dante Alighieri was sentenced to exile for life in what is today called the Donatello room, and centuries later his first portrait was discovered in the building’s chapel. The Grand Duke of Tuscany abolished the death penalty for the first time in Europe in the eighteenth century, and staged a bonfire of torture instruments in the Bargello courtyard.

As a national museum, The Bargello acquired its collection from various sources: the Uffizi, the Palazzo Vecchio, and donors Louis Carrand, Ambassador Constantino Ressman, and Baron Giulio Franchetti. It is part of the I Musei del Bargello, along with Cappelle Medicee, Palazzo Davanzati, Orsanmichele, and Casa Martelli, all walking distance from each other.

PARTICIPANTS

This project was initiated by Karla Polo-Garcia, Paolo Villanueva (MFAs in Design & Technology) and Nadia Jihad (MA in History of Design & Curatorial Studies) in collaboration with the Bargello National Museum in Florence, Italy and Parsons Paris