Lisa Gelli, born in Empoli in 1983, is a visual artist, illustrator, art director, and muralist who works with a dreamlike style that creates an ethereal atmosphere. Her watercolor-like images capture the viewer’s gaze with an explosion of colors, immersing him in a suspended and misty ambiance. Dialogue is the core of the artist’s work, as she draws inspiration from the place, the context, and the people around her.

In the Iridaceae project as well, the artist was inspired by her surroundings. For the color palette, mainly featuring sage and rust, with added lilacs and pinks to evoke the colors of flowers, Lisa Gelli drew inspiration from the furnishings of the Hotel. In the same way, in the staircase, she referenced the vertical forest outside the building. The plants and flowers depicted are the result of in-depth research into Tuscan plant species, particularly those present in the Boboli Gardens, combined with natural elements designed by the artist based on her imagination, there is also a strong reference to the Tuscan landscapes, characterized by rolling hills, fields, and cypress trees.

The mural extends along the corridor that leads from the garage to the hotel lobby and then continues up the stairs. The artistic intervention in the corridor has transformed what was once a simple passage into an immersive and enjoyable visual experience, reflecting the history and style of Palazzo Montebello. The staircase maintains an aesthetic coherence with the corridor, creating a harmonious transition between the two spaces. Palazzo Montebello is an architectural complex dating back to the Renaissance, where the legacies of different historical periods intertwine. From stables to a refined hotel, it carries centuries of Florence’s history within its walls.

In the corridor area, flowers are depicted, including Iris fiorentina, Digitalis purpurea, and Orchids, interspersed on the three largest walls with representations of landscapes from the Tuscan countryside. On the stairs, however, nature becomes denser and the texture fuller. Here, real and imaginary floral species alternate, while colors are distributed across different areas, creating a pattern-like effect. The painterly approach chosen by the artist uses outlines only where strictly necessary, with the rest left in areas of flat color shades, creating a soft effect.

The contrast created between the corridor area, airy and somewhat ethereal, and the staircase area, rich in color and elements, guides the observers on a journey of discovering their own inner landscapes, which intertwine with those depicted by the artist. The element of human inner landscapes connected to floral landscapes is central to the path Lisa Gelli is taking with her works related to nature, of which Iridaceae represents a further exploration.

ALTRO