A French artist paints road signs in Florence. “Improved” road signs from Klet Abraham

Despite the fact that heraldry is considered just an “auxiliary historical discipline,” this science is as complex as it is interesting. And although I am a professional historian, who also studied heraldry at the university, I cannot consider myself a professional in this field. Therefore, I offer you an amateur’s story about the heraldic signs of magnificent Florence.

This story, I think, should start with city ​​coat of arms , which can be found literally everywhere in Florence. Here is his picture on cathedral- Santa Maria Del Fiore:

that's how decorative element Palazzo Vecchio:

Coat of arms of Florence is a simple heraldic shield, peculiar to Italy, on a silver field of which a red lily is depicted with three gracefully curved petals, symbolizing wisdom, devotion and valor. The fleur-de-lis of Florence is believed to be a stylized iris flower. According to one version, the city was named Florence precisely because irises bloomed in abundance around it at one time, and in translation from Latin “Florence” means “Blooming”.
According to another version, the iris (lily) was the insignia of the Frankish court; later it began to represent royal families France, and even later this flower appeared on the coat of arms of the Medici family, which had close ties with France and became the rulers of Florence for a long time. According to this version, lily petals symbolize the three “pillars” on which the state rests - devotion to the crown, valor in battles for it and the wisdom of the rulers.
Today in Florence, the lily is no less revered than in the Middle Ages, and according to the Florentines themselves, this ancient coat of arms protects, inspires and helps the development of their beloved city.

Since we're talking about Medici , then, of course, one cannot help but say about their coat of arms. Images of the coat of arms of the rulers of medieval Florence and the Dukes of Tuscany are also not uncommon in the city:

Among other things, the dynasty of Florentine rulers from the Medici family became famous for its patronage of art. Thanks largely to them, Florence during the Renaissance became what we know it now. The Medici also patronized various city guilds and guilds, especially those that in turn patronized the arts. For example, the heraldic sign of the guild changed Arte del Cambio , which positioned itself as a guild of arts and crafts (founded in 1202):

Little thoughtful people appear on road signs quite suddenly, as if by magic, making passers-by think and smile. Creates these pictures French artist and sculptor Clet Abraham, who has been sculpting stickers on street signs in the city for several years now. big cities Europe. The stickers themselves can be peeled off very easily, and the artistic image that is applied to them does not at all make it difficult to read the sign itself, so such an “improvement” cannot be considered damage to public property.

(Total 16 photos)

Klet was born in France in 1966. art education He graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Rennes, and then moved to Rome, where he was engaged in the restoration of antique furniture. In 2005 he moved to Florence, where he still lives and works.

The artist says that the idea to “paint” road signs came to his mind when he was once driving around the city for a very long time and noticed how many different signs there were, and how boring they were in essence. The signs simply say: stand, right, left, etc. Then the artist decided to make them more alive and give them additional meaning. Today, the fruits of his work in this area can be seen in Florence, Turin, London and Valencia, and in the near future the artist plans to raid several more European cities and “clean up” road signs there too.

This unusual creativity has had good success: for example, the very first sign, which was located on the famous Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, and depicted Jesus Christ, was even stolen by fans. In his works, the artist very often turns to religious themes. He says his biggest influences are Pieter Bruegel and the surrealist artists.

Clet Abraham exhibits his works not only on public road signs. He has his own gallery in Florence and also sells his sculptures and paintings, and of course, road signs. The artist's works are used great success from private collectors in Paris, Monte Carlo and New York.

), whom I was lucky enough to meet on Instagram, we managed to contact Klet and prepare a short interview with him.

Cell willingly spoke about the viral nature of street art and how much time it takes to transform a road sign, invited him to his studio in Florence, and also revealed the secret of whether contemporary art can find a common language with local authorities. A collection of signs collected by Lena can be found by tag #shadesofflorence_clet, however, this is not all - new signs appear on the streets regularly, so we are waiting for your photos from Florence or other cities on Instagram with the tag #unarussainitalia_clet.

Many tourists, when returning from Florence, enthusiastically tell and show photos of your signs, but, unfortunately, in 95% of cases they cannot name the author. In this interview we would like to introduce you in a little more detail. You are the author of a project that we are delighted with!

Molti turisti russi al ritorno da Firenze con entusiasmo raccontano e mostrano le foto dei segnali stradali creati da lei, ma purtroppo il 95% di loro non conoscono i’autore di queste opere. Con questa intervista, vorremmo presentare l "autore di questo progetto di cui siamo molto affascinati.

1. How did you get the idea to remake road signs? Did you want to make reality more attractive?

Come è venuta l "idea di trasformare la segnaletica stradale? Lei voleva renderli più attraenti?

I've dedicated my entire life to creating works of art and at some point I wanted to bring aesthetics to undeniable symbols of power... road signs.

Ho dedicato tutta la mia vita alla produzione di opere d"arte, è stata un"evoluzione che ad un certo punto mi ha portato ad una sintesi estetica e alla voglia di comunicare dei concetti, di rispondere a dei simboli indiscussi di autorità... i cartelli stradali.

2. Where and when did the first sign appear? What was he like?

Dove e quando è stato fatto il primo segnale? Qual'era?

The first road sign appeared in Florence. It was a picture of Christ on a sign indicating a dead end.

Il primo segnale stradale è “il Cristo” sul cartello che indica la strada senza uscita, l "ho fatto per la prima volta a Firenze.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

3. How do you choose a new sign location? In some locations you can see the irony, for example at the Gucci and Louis Vuitton boutiques in Florence. Is this a social protest or a joke?

Come avviene la scelta della posizione del segnale? In alcune località, per esempio nelle vicinanze dei boutique di Gucci e Louis Vuitton a Firenze, si può vedere l"ironia. Questa è una protesta sociale o uno scherzo?

Choosing a theme to appear in a certain place for me means creating a story, a silent dialogue between various factors: it could be street names, a store, a building. In many ways this is my protest, sometimes satire and ridicule, sometimes poetry. The meaning lies in the eyes of those who look at it.

Scegliere un soggetto da applicare in un determinato luogo significa per me creare una storia, un dialogo silente tra diversi fattori, che siano il nome della strada, un negozio, un"edificio. La mia è talvolta protesta, talvolta satira e beffa, talvolta poesia , il significato sta negli occhi di chi sa osservare.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

4. Do you work alone or do you have a creative team?

Lei lavora da solo o ha un team creativo?

The creative part is mine.

La parte creativa è mia principalmente.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

5. They write on the Internet that it takes you less than a minute to re-glue an image on a road sign. This is true?

Su Internet scrivono che per mettere l'immagine su un segnale stradale lei impiega meno di un minuto. È davvero così?

Yes, that's exactly it. All changes for road signs are stickers, which ensures the speed of application of the image.

Sì, è proprio così, tutte le modifiche ai cartelli stradali sono fatte con adesivi, sempre rimovibili, da questo la rapidità del gesto!

6. You have inspired many people to do a similar makeover. Have you seen the work of your fans?

Lei è stato d’ispirazione per molte persone, che hanno cercato anche di emularla, ha visto alcuni dei loro lavori?

Eat street artists that work with road signs, and that's great. Some create their own work, others remake mine. It's okay to be inspired by the work of other artists. I have a recognizable and strong aesthetic: once you understand my work, you can quite easily distinguish it from others.

Ci sono altri street artist che lavorano sui cartelli e va bene così, alcuni fanno lavori di testa loro ed altri si rifanno al mio lavoro, è normale farsi ispirare da altri artisti, io ho un"estetica univoca, riconoscibile e forte, una volta compreso Il mio lavoro è abbastanza semplice distinguere la mia estetica.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

7. Which cities are affected by cellomania? Where, besides Florence and Rome, can you see such signs? Unfortunately, we did not find similar projects in Russian cities. We hope this art will reach Russia.

Quale città sono state coperte da cletomania? Dove, oltre a Firenze e Roma, è possibile vedere tali segnali? Purtroppo, non abbiamo trovato progetti simili nelle città russe, auspichiamo in futuro di vedere questa arte anche nel nostro paese.

There are a lot of cities in which I worked, especially in Europe, and I cannot list them all. Outside of Europe I have worked in New York, Hong Kong, Osaka and Kyoto. It would be very interesting for me to work in Russia. If I were offered to work in one of the cities in collaboration with local authorities and administration, I would accept this offer with pleasure.

Le città dove ho lavorato sono moltissime, sopratutto in Europa, non riuscirei ad elencargliele tutte, al di fuori dell"Europa ho lavorato a New York, Hong Kong, Hosaka e Kyoto, sarebbe molto interessante per me lavorare in Russia e se mi proponessero un intervento su qualche città del territorio con una collaborazione ufficiale dell"amministrazione locale accetterei ben volentieri.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

8. In Florence, I found 22 types of signs in the historical part of the city alone. How many are there really?

A Firenze ho trovato 22 differenti segnali sono tutti opera sua, o alcune sono dei falsi? Quanti sono in totale quelli realizzati da lei?

There is no exact number of signs that exist in Florence or in other cities. It is very common for signs to be stolen or the sticker removed. I can say that I have made thousands of signs all over the world.

Non c"è un numero definito di cartelli a Firenze, come nelle altre città, spesso rubano il cartello o rimuovono l"adesivo. Nel mondo ne ho messo a migliaia.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

9. How do city authorities feel about your project? I don’t know about the officials, but the tourists are delighted! This is a real virus: when you find two or three signs, you automatically begin to look at all the others in search of new interpretations.

Come le autorità delle città dove ha creato queste opere giudicano il suo progetto? I turisti le amano, si tratta di un vero e proprio virus, quando trovi due o tre segnali inizi automaticamente a fare attenzione agli altri alla ricerca di nuove interpretazioni.

Yes, that's exactly it. My works are very often addictive, this is the strength of my project: to encourage people to look and observe. City authorities have different attitudes towards my works: there are those who understand the importance of both the aesthetic and educational aspects of my works. In fact, my intervention makes me pay even more attention to road signs, which are distinguished by their impersonality. There is local authorities who follow the idea of ​​the highest and unquestioned authority of power, take a deaf position.

È proprio vero, spesso il mio lavoro crea dipendenza ed è anche questa la forza del mio intervento, spronare le persone a cercare ed osservare. Le autorità delle città rispondono in modi diversi, c"è chi capisce l"importanza sia estetica che educativa del mio lavoro, infatti il ​​mio intervento porta ad osservare la segnaletica spesso poco interessante. Ci sono autorità che invece si oppongono in
modo sordo al mio dialogo, troppo affezionati a quell"idea di autorità sovrana e indiscussa.

10. Can your fans see your work somewhere else?

I suoi fan possono vedere i suoi lavori da qualche altra parte?

In my studio in Florence, on via dell'Olmo 8r and in some galleries. My works are different from the usual road signs that we see on the streets. They bear my signature and the year of “transformation”; their production is limited. I acquire them and then modify them using paints or refracting paper. Among them you can see ancient and truly unique specimens. Ultimately, these are my personal works of art.

Al mio studio in Firenze Via dell"Olmo 8r e in qualche galleria, ma questi lavori sono molto diversi da quelli che si trovano in strada, i soggetti sono gli stessi ma sono tutti pezzi numerati con un limite di produzione, firmati e con la timbra dell"anno in cui li ho modificati, la tecnica è pittura o carta rifrangente tagliata a mano. Compro io stesso questi cartelli scegliendoli per le loro qualità, a volte sono antichi e hanno delle particolarità introvabili. Insomma questi sono pezzi che vengono comprati come mie opere d"arte a tutti gli effetti.

Photo/Foto: Lena @shadesofflorence (Instagram)

11. How do you feel about those examples of modern art that regularly appear in Florence (the golden statue of Jeff Koons in Piazza della Signoria, the bright staircase of Paola Pivi in ​​the Palazzo Strozzi)? Does it beautify the city or, on the contrary, bring dissonance? Does Florence need a balance between art in the traditional sense and modern trends?

Che cosa ne pensa degli esempi di arte contemporanea che appaiono regolarmente a Firenze (statua d'oro di Jeff Koons in Piazza della Signoria, una scala luminosa a Palazzo Strozzi)? Esse adornano la città o, al contrario presentano una dissonanza? Firenze ha bisogno di un equilibrio tra l"arte tradizionale del passato e le tendenze moderne?

Great! It's very good that they exist! However, what I don't like about Florence is the lack of attention given to local artists.

Vanno benissimo queste apparizioni di arte contemporanea. Ciò che non approvo sulla città di Firenze è la mancanza di attenzione nei confronti degli artisti locali.

Thank you for the interview.

Grazie per l"intervista.

Clet Abraham's road sign redesign project is the largest street art project in Florence.
photo Shades of Florence

Many tourists, when returning from Florence, enthusiastically talk about and show photographs of unusual road signs. Most often, they don't even suspect it, this is part of a large-scale street art project by artist Clet Abraham. As of mid-September, the city has no special effort you can assemble a collection of three dozen updated road signs.

In an interview that Clet gave to the authors of the city blog Shades of Florence and project http://unarussainitalia.ru/ the artist spoke about the viral nature of street art and how much time it takes to transform a road sign, invited him to his studio in Florence, and also revealed the secret of whether contemporary art can find a common language with local authorities.

How did you get the idea to redesign road signs? Did you want to make reality more attractive?

I've dedicated my entire life to creating works of art and at some point I wanted to bring aesthetics to undeniable symbols of power... road signs.

​

Where and when did the first sign appear? What was he like?

The first road sign appeared in Florence. It was a picture of Christ on a sign indicating a dead end.

How do you choose a new sign location? In some locations you can see the irony, for example at the Gucci and Louis Vuitton boutiques in Florence. Is this a social protest or a joke?

Choosing a theme to appear in a certain place for me means creating a story, a silent dialogue between various factors: it could be street names, a store, a building. In many ways this is my protest, sometimes satire and ridicule, sometimes poetry. The meaning lies in the eyes of those who look at it.

Do you work alone or do you have a creative team?

The creative part is mine.

In Florence you can find several dozen types of updated Clet Abraham road signs in the most unexpected places.
photo Shades of Florence

They write on the Internet that it takes less than a minute to re-glue an image on a road sign. This is true?

Yes, that's exactly it. All changes for road signs are stickers, which ensures the speed of application of the image.

You have inspired many people to do a similar makeover. Have you seen the work of your fans?

There are street artists who work with road signs, and it's wonderful. Some create their own work, others remake mine. It's okay to be inspired by the work of other artists. I have a recognizable and strong aesthetic: once you understand my work, you can quite easily distinguish it from others.

Which cities are affected by cellomania? Where, besides Florence and Rome, can you see such signs? Unfortunately we didn't find similar projects in Russian cities. We hope this art will reach Russia.

There are a lot of cities in which I worked, especially in Europe, and I cannot list them all. Outside of Europe I have worked in New York, Hong Kong, Osaka and Kyoto. It would be very interesting for me to work in Russia. If I were offered to work in one of the cities in collaboration with local authorities and administration, I would accept this offer with pleasure.

In Florence, I found 22 types of signs in the historical part of the city alone. How many are there really?

There is no exact number of signs that exist in Florence or in other cities. It is very common for signs to be stolen or the sticker removed. I can say that I have made thousands of signs all over the world.

The authorities of Italian cities have different attitudes towards the work of Clet Abraham: in Florence they put up with the signs, in the south they were fined several thousand euros.

Photo by Shades of Florence

How do city authorities feel about your project? I don’t know about the officials, but the tourists are delighted! This is a real virus: when you find two or three signs, you automatically begin to look at all the others in search of new interpretations.

Yes, that's exactly it. My works are very often addictive, this is the strength of my project: to encourage people to look and observe. City authorities have different attitudes towards my works: there are those who understand the importance of both the aesthetic and educational aspects of my works. In fact, my intervention makes me pay even more attention to road signs, which are distinguished by their impersonality. There are local bodies that follow the idea of ​​the highest and unquestioned authority of the authorities and take a blind position.

Is there somewhere else where your fans can see your work?

In my studio in Florence, via dell’Olmo 8 and in some galleries. My works are different from the usual road signs that we see on the streets. They bear my signature and the year of “transformation”; their production is limited. I acquire them and then modify them using paints or refracting paper. Among them you can see ancient and truly unique specimens. Ultimately, these are my personal works of art.

How do you feel about those examples of contemporary art that regularly appear in Florence ( golden statue Jeff Koons in Piazza della Signoria, Paola Pivi's bright staircase in Palazzo Strozzi)? Does it beautify the city or, on the contrary, bring dissonance? Does Florence need a balance between art in the traditional sense and modern trends?