Biography
I‘m Serena Tani, I come from Tuscany, I was born in a family where art was considered just a joke for not serious people.
In my house there weren’t painting of any kind ,but only photos of Saints ,Popes and family portrait’s.
It was not, however, in his humility, a sad home, because there were many plants that reached the ceiling, by the will of my mother.
My home were like a greenhouse curated by my mother who, in her regime severity, however loved to fill with plants (she really took care about nature).
I was not allowed, even as a child, ti procrastinate with colours, so much so that at night I dreamed of to stealing them. However, I had a good times with her, when we lovingly played around the plants.
She left me, unfortunately, too early for a devastating illness, and this event left in me a devastating void, that I’m not yet be able to fill.
I immediately demostrated artistic inclnations with music first, and then with drowing afterwards.
Hindered by the family who saw their daughter in a “serious” job as a nurse, teacher or secretary, I was forced into studies that were not very inclined to my nature.
But I quickly freed myself and continued independently, studying and working to maintain a preparation as a fashion design.
For many years I have also been happy in that floating and glossy world, working for big industries on the international scene of design.
At the same time, I held a very bohemian studio, on the roofs of Empoli (Fi), together with an art master, following his unconscious painting lessons for 12 years.
.Then he will become my husband; but this is a detail.
The relationship with him soon ended by mutual agreement, for reasons of different continuation of life.
This liberating divorce started my journey with the visual arts (painting), and, after the birth of my son, exactly when he was 4 years old, I started with the first exhibitions and awards.
The desire to experiment explosively was vital in those years, while my work in fashion was more and more monotonous and unsatisfactory with repetitive creations.
The beginnings of about 16 years ago were certainly not easy. To make myself understood and accepted in the complicated aristic curatorial world, in which in addition to being a female artist, not coming from canonical artistic studies, I was also a fashion stylist.,I had to invent a new way to propose myself-
At the beginning, I started with a more commercial art, to arrive then to projects for Museums, Associations and Foundations.
But my artistic research always needed to deepen the roots towards a visual non- figuration, more rooted in artistic projects of mutual sharing.
Certainly, my path in fashion with the dress for about 25 years has marked me, but not conditioned.
From the folds of the clothes I learned that under the outer shell, the house of bodies, there are indescribable fragilities and profound implausible facets.
With Bau Dress Codex, I was finally able to jointly create a project dedicated to childhood, Dress Codex of the developmental age.
In 2016, I proposed, to the Municipality of Montelupo Fno, my project for the reopening of an abandoned space, owned by the Municipality itself, within the boundary walls of 1500 in a disused ceramic (Fornace Cioni Alderighi).
The Furnace of the Museum has now become RED.
I, a solitary pioneer of this project, that no one believed in, in December of the same year, created the Studio Serena Tani artistic activities, open to construction site and art workshop, atelier for collaboration with institutions, Foundations, Museums and
Associations. Various artistic projects were born in this place, also with the participation of other ceramic companies and private citizens.
In 2016 I met Virgilio Sieni and participated in various performative projects related to gesture and body movements.
In October 2020, “Fragments” was born, a museum installation promoted by the Councilor for Culture Aglaia Viviani and the “MMAB Museum of Ceramics Foundation”. The feature of the work, in addition to having dimensions of 5 x 5 meters, is the collaboration of 10 ceramic companies and ordinary citizens for having delivered waste ceramic material to me.
In addition, I was helped of university students for the scrapping of the pieces themselves.
I‘m currently working on curatorial projects (with the collaboration of MMaB), related to lightness and the improper use of liquid substances and their solidification and cooking. Lightness as material and the relationship with the light shadow suspension are now the materials with which I work.
I hope in the future to have the physical and mental strength to always question myself with changes and transformations, linked to my way of conceiving future art, always in social and shareable movement.
Curriculum
EDUCATION
2015 Cad Lectra system for fashion /Institute MODARTECH Pontedera ( PISA)
1983-1986 School of fashion design”Sarteco”Empoli (Firenze)
1979-1982 Professional Institute of State for trade (Firenze)
VISUAL ART EXHIBITIONS
FASHION DESIGN WORKS FASHION TEACHER
2021 Collective exhibition on MMAB (Montelupo Ceramic Museum,) Title: Rem, Sante ,Madonne,Arpie , edited by “Fondazione Museo della Ceramica” (director Benedetta Falteri), presented by Aglaia Viviani (Culture’s Councilor of Montelupo Fiorentino’s Municipality)(Firenze)
2020 “ Fragments “, Podestarile Museum Garden Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze) installation made with the partecipation of ceramic companies and the kindly collaboration of citizens. It has been promoted with “Fondazione Museo” and edited by Benedetta Falteri, and the culture’s assessor of Municipality of di Montelupo Fno Aglaia Viviani
2019 “International ceramic’s Festival” with the project “Salvator Mundi”,Monumental collective Installation Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze )Church S.Giovanni Evangelista curated by Matteo Zauli, director of “Museo Zauli” of Faenza (Ravenna);
2018 Personal exhibition of visual arts” A Nest For Art” psycho. pedagocical project presented by Annalia Galardini pedagogist,curated by the director of kindergarten “Madamadorè” Tania Mariotti.
Projects presented at the University of Florence faculty of Educational Sciences. Simone Londi ,coucilor at the School of the Municipality of the Montelupo Fiorentino ( FI)
2018 “Fornace Pasquinucci”, Capraia Fiorentina (Limite sull’Arno, Firenze), Collective exibition title .IN_CARTA .The theme of the works invited the viever to a dialogue with paper and its use. In collaboration with the students of the “A. Checchi “State Institute of Fucecchio (FI
IN_CARTA Choreographic project with video and multimedial show
2018 International Festival Theatre Mercantia Certaldo (Firenze) monumental installation inside church (Santi Tommaso e Prospero)with ceramic and paper
Title. Archè
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES FASHION AND FOOTWEAR TEACHER
2018/2009 Fashion and footwear teacher at the “A.Checchi State Instituto” for the planning and design of clothing and footwear collections. Preparation drawing and projects for the end of school year exam
2017 Opening project of disused places, and inauguration of a portion of “Fornace Storica”, owned by Municipality of Montelupo Fiorentino, where I currently carry out artistic and design activities;
2017 : “International ceramic’s festival”, Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze)curated by Federica Preto, “Project Apparizioni”: galvanized net steel installation in urban park, and R.E.D: choreographic project with video and multimedial show
2017 International Festival Theatre Mercantia Certaldo (Firenze) Urban Installation with use of paper sculpture title “DEVA”
2016 Various drawing for the contemporaney culture’s magazine “DRESS CODEX “, with “Associazione culturale BAU” Viareggio (LU), “Museo Gamc Viareggio” (LU) 18 june-17 july 2016; “Gallery Paola Raffo”, Pietrasanta (LU), 6-21 august 2016; “Museo Novecento Milano”, 18 october 2016Gallery Mag 3 Vienna
2015 “XI Contemporary day. Collective exhibition organized by “STILE LIBERO Montelupo Fiorentino”(Firenze)
2015 “Pontedera Art”, installation “The good fortune to be born”
2015 “Clouds“Urban Installation for Montelupo Fiorentino Firenze, 23 may- 14 june 2015 with the patronage of Municipality of Montelupo Fiorentino and traders association “Borgo degli Arlecchini“
2015 “Personal painting exhibition” in “BCC Bank Cambiano Agency Montelupo Fiorentino” (Firenze). Partener and sponsor: “BCC Bank Cambiano”, 8 november- 19 december
2015 Untitled “Personal painting exhibition” on “International ceramic festival”, patronage by Municipality of Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze)
2015 ARTOUR_O il MUST,International collective of contemporary art Florence march, edited by Arch.Tiziana Leopizzi
2015 Exhibitions with “Cultural association Circuiti Dinamici”Milano: Micro2 and Micro Book projects. Editors: Aldo Torrebruno and Elda Epis Dynamic circuits Milano 14-12-2014/10-01-2015;
2013/2014 “Florence Biennale”, auction in ”Florence archaelogical museum”, with the collaboration of “Collective Fiorgen”. Editor: Dott. Giaccherini (and patronage of Municipality of Florence). Auction and catalog curators: Roberto Milani and Filippo Lotti
2013 Artistic association “Heyart” and Municipality of Florence, in “Florence horticulture garden hosted my istallation MEDUSA (made off galvanized steel net and ceramic). June-September
2013 Inside “ Personal retrospective exhibition” for “International ceramic Festival” in Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze)
2013 “Park Museum art in Chianti Maurizio Mauri”. Creation and installation of Kore (net steel sculture). Kore, on permanent display, presented by Alessandra Frosini (artistic curator) and Attilio Maltinti, art historian of “Pecci Arte”. www.artenelchianti.it Montespertoli (FIrenze),
2013 “Volterra in the frame” promoted by “Tuscany culture ” and Municipality of Volterra, 25/4-1/5
2013/2012 “Sanlorenzo art galleryt”, march, collective exhibition with auction, edited by Roberto Milani for “Casa D’arte Sanlorenzo”.
2012 Hospital San Carlo Borromeo 29-5-9-6-2012 Milano Auditorium Pime Milano 17.3-2012; L’Acanto art gallery 14-1-28-1-2012; Milano
2012 Collective exhibition “UFFIZI FLORENCE”, with auction Fiorgen edited by Dott Catia Giaccherini, Uffizi’s director Dott Natali and chief of “Beni Culturali degli Uffizi” Cristina Acidini (with patronage of Municiplity of Florence) International collective
2012 ”Merlino art gallery- Title “, collective exhibition title. “Vedere Contemporaneo”edited by Giovanna Cardini and Gianni Costa of “Galleria Mercurio”, Viareggio;
2012 “Expo art Pisa”, collective exhibition,”Galleria Ghibellino” Empoli (FI) (
2012 Sanlorenzo art gallery Artimino (PO),Collective contemporary art auction in march
2011 Dynamic circuits Milano 17-11-19-11 2011;
Rocco Basciano Art Gallery Milano 10-9-17-9-2011; Zhamenhof art gallery Milano 14-5-22-5-2011; Sassetti Culture Milano 20-4-6-5-2011;
L‘Acanto art gallery,Milano 20-4-6-5-2011; Dynamic circuits 14.2.3-2011;
2011 Auction for playroom Sollicciano (FI), edited by “Telefono azzurro”, National press, 29 october “Drawing Connection”, Istituto Paul Getty III, Siena Gallery Sanlorenzo,Auctions in Sardinia and Artimino (Prato)
2010 Auction for “Eat plums”,Como, edited by Roberto Milani
Spagnoli art gallery, Sardinia,exhibition with auction edited by Renzo
Spagnoli
Spagnoli art gallery Exhibition in Barcelona. Edited by Renzo and
Beatrice Spagnoli
2009 “ Palagio di Parte Guelfa”- collective exhibition for “cultural association Firenze” edited by Roberto Cellini (Director of “Modigliani art gallery) with the intervention of Eugenio Giani (former regional councilor and now governor of Tuscany) and the patronage of the Municipality of Florence
Sanlorenzo art gallery– Various auctions in Sardinia island e Artimino (Prato)
2008 “Italy award 2008”- Magazine “Eco D’Arte Firenze” “Fornace Pasquinucci”- Capraia Fna (FI)- Collective exhibition
“Cultural association Modigliani”- Scandicci- Personal exhibition-Florence
“Cultural association Modigliani”-Villa Bandini (FI)
2007“ Ghibellino art gallery, collective exhibition of painting and sculpture with the patronage of the Municipality of Empoli (FI)
PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCES FASHION DESIGNER
2013 Fashion designer for, Micheli industry(collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Mulberry, Prada, Louis Vuitton), Vinci (FI) Pitti Uomo,Pitti Donna, Milano Collezioni
2004/2005 Fashion designer for “La Sartoria”, Montelupo Fiorentino (FI) artisan Shop of tailor -made clothing
2002/2004 Fashion designer for fashion “Patcwork “ study Empoli (FI)
1999/2012 Fashion designer Serena Tani, clothing study Montelupo Fiorentino, (FI)
1999 Fashion designer for, Gallotti,clothing industry Montelupo Fiorentino, (FI)Pitti Uomo ,Pitti Donna Milano Collezioni
1998 Fashion designer for Landi clothing,industry Empoli, (FI) Pitti Uomo, Pitti Donna Milano Collezioni
1997/1998 Fashion designer for Crhistine clothing industry Signa, (FI)
1992/1997 Fashion designer Serena Tani clothing study Empoli, (FI)
1990/1992 Fashion designer for Santa Croce clothing industry, Fucecchio, (FI) Pitti Uomo,Pitti Donna ,Milano Collezioni ,
1987 Fashion design collections and visual art
1986 Fashion designer for Chiarugi,clothing industry Castelfiorentino, (FI)
Frammenti
2020 – misure metri 5×5 – installazione composta da 160 kg di scarti di ceramica industriali e partecipazione tramite call di materiale ceramico di cittadini.
Kore
2013 – misure 2,30 x 1,80 – acciaio zincato ferro pittura
Leo Et Rota
2018 – 80 diametro – carta su tavola con movimento meccanico circolare per fare in modo che l’opera ruoti, pesi da pneumatici per bilanciare
Nido
2020 – carta gesso pittura su tavola – 40×40
Particelle
2021 – 40×50 – micro frammenti ceramici di argilla liquida materiale organico smalti cotture spilli da entimologia e sartoria su tela dipinta misure