ART EVENT: Exploring the artist's subconscious

22 September 2026: A community art at MAD, Murate Art District, where local and international artists share their book art inspired by Elena Salvini Pierallini's body of work.

Elena Salvini Pierallini's 'Black Bags' event at Capraia Island, 2007, ph. ESP

One of artist Elena Salvini Pierallini’s (1934-2024) most successful artistic endeavours was to mobilise Florence’s local art scene by creating community events in which artists could produce and share works in conversation. The premise of her ‘Borse nere’, or ‘Black Bag Initiative’ was simple: she’d create incomplete ‘Books on Their Feet’, filling only half of each book with her own artwork. She tucked each of her art books in large black bags symbolising the subconscious, and gifted them to other artists, with an invitation to fill both bag and book with whatever suited their fancy. Later, these artists would gather at a monumental venue in Florence, in what she called a show-and-tell ‘performance’, which involved extracting their new-fangled art books and sources of inspiration, from the depths of their borse nere for discussion among their peers, but in public.

With seven incomplete art books now part of the ESP Archive, Elena Salvini Pierallini’s daughters have gifted the books to contemporary artists to continue the art conversation their mother began decades ago. Public presentation by participating artists is scheduled for September 22 from 5:30 to 7pm at MAD – Murate Art District, a former convent turned female prison, which became a contemporary art centre hosting major exhibitions as of 2011. International contemporary artists Rea Stavropoulos, Elena Santoni, Ylenia Pigozzo, Veronika Bromberg, Irena M Kongsuwan, Sophie Robinson and Victor Rees will share their works with the public and artists from previous editions of decades’ past. No reservations necessary.

Organised by Cultural Association Il Palmerino and Calliope Arts Foundation, with the British Institute of Florence, this event is part of the Estate Fiorentina 2026 programme. Admission is free.