Cover Photo: Courtesy of Olga Goulandris

At Sunday’s preview gala for Musiwa17 at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, forty of the world’s most creative mosaic artists were greeting guests as they entered. It’s an appropriate introduction to a contemporary mosaic art fair in Florence. Earlier in the day, Francesco Chimienti, the founder and art director of Musiwa, was thinking back to the fair’s beginnings, when he was forced to ask himself, “Who would want to go to a contemporary mosaic art fair?”

The surprise is that the mosaic art community is evolving in Italy, but the Musiwa event, which runs through Tuesday, May 16, really does keep on growing. This year, the show witnessed international mosaicists like Carolina Kawall, Beatrice Serre, Marie-Laure Bourbon, and many others.

Pulling from a year’s worth of art discovery and insight from some of the world’s most influential curators and art historians, 10 selected mosaic artworks had a great impact on almost every corner of the Palace.

Mariange Kerouanton-Tricard

If you haven’t heard of Marie-Ange Tricard you’re likely not familiar with the splendor of Brittany, a captivating region in the northwest of France in which Marie-Ange finds inspiration to craft her mosaics. Her mosaic artworks explore the liaison between the synthetic and natural worlds.

Copyrighted Credits to Mariange Tricard

Rosanna Fattorini

Using a mixture of found and crafted mediums, Rosanna’s mosaics refect on her slow rigorous approach to mosaic art. The meticulous precision of her technique and sequential discovery of her subjects, she seems to question the fundamental elements of three-dimensional art.

Copyrighted Credits to Rosana Fattorini

Beatrice Serre

To say Beatrice’s mosaics “unplug” isn’t a conceptual critique so much as a literal truth. Earlier this year, the French artist was featured in “Mosaic Art: The Futuristic Style Trend” as one of the pioneers of the futuristic art movement in mosaic art. What is particularly impressive about Beatrice Serre’s mosaics is that she accomplishes so much through precise and elegant style.

Copyrighted Credits to Beatrice Serre

Nathalie Vin

A visual artist, filmmaker, and mosaicist, Nathalie blends methods to craft unique mosaic artworks that meditate on contemporary culture and on her identity as an influencer. Her mosaics are a visual expression of smalti layers within layers that reveal a flare of sentimental beauty that gets thrown off-balance.

Copyrighted Credits to Nathalie Vin

Dino Maccini

Dino has been the subject of numerous articles this year, like the Kinetic Art Movement and Futurist Style Trend. He is a magical storyteller unfolding a futuristic fantasy through exceptional mosaic artworks. This Italian mosaicist creates both 2D and 3D mosaics, and his strength across mediums lies in an ability to visualize form and formlessness at the same time.

Copyrighted Credits to Dino Maccini

Marie-Laure Bourbon

A mosaicist who how to make her creations stand out in an ever-increasing digital age, the best way I can describe her. Marie-Laure has been creating an impressive collection of mosaic artworks for many years now that is rooted in an interest in futurism, modernism, and innovation.

Copyrighted Credits to Marie-Laure Bourbon

Olga Goulandris

She first broke through the 2013 mosaic collection “Crisis & Paganism” for the Mykonos Biennale of Art. Olga, a passionate Greek mosaicist who found her footing in Italy through her individual technique as well as collaborations. Her mosaic artworks revive and craft new elements to the conventional art form in several structures!

Copyrighted Credits to Olga Goulandris

Santi Marco

Another big fan of sculptural mosaic art Marco Santi, who often posts the various stages of his mosaic development process. A visual artist based in Ravenna, Santi specializes in sculpture, working mainly in the field of mosaic art. Using carefully placed smalti, he creates the illusion of depth by seamlessly blending texture, perspective, and light.

Copyrighted Credits to Santi Marco

Maria de Cataldo

Maria de Cataldo has been influenced by numerous mixed media and visionary artists. Today she’s influencing the movement of mosaic art. She is an Italian visionary mosaic artist whose work aims to challenge the visual perception experienced by the viewer.

Copyrighted Credits to Maria de Cataldo

Sandra Naggar

Last but not least, in my opinion, creative success is never measured by publication, awards, and acclaim. Advice: Don’t leave the Palace, without contemplating the artwork of the Italian mixed media artist Sandra Naggar. She creates alluring 3D artworks that highlight surrealism within the natural world.

Copyrighted Credits to Sandra Naggar

Last but not least, every art lover has to chart a singular path through the madness of this show. The dealers and the collector and the curators should visit the exhibition because there will be a mosaic for everyone’s taste.

If you liked this article, you may also want to read Are These The World’s most Most Innovative Mosaicists?

Who would you most like to meet in this exhibition? Let them know in the comment box below!