Studying visual arts in Italy, in Florence in particular, is an experience that goes beyond the classroom. It starts when you peek from the window of the airplane landing at the city’s airport and it continues at every step you take during your day-to-day life in town.
In my courses, students have the opportunity to learn the principles of photography and then apply them to capture the unique city life and architecture. I've noticed that it is an eye-opening experience for the majority of the students.
Italy is strategically placed in the heart of Europe, which means that it is attractive to many cultures for studying and visiting. Florence in particular is a global city, it has been through history and that legacy remains strong today.
The exchange with other country’s lifestyles and traditions is constant, especially in the art field, where Florence offers the opportunity to look at the future drawing endless inspiration from its rich past. The global citizen needs a solid foundation and I believe Italy is a fertile ground to build that.
Visual languages are today more than ever a global way to communicate across cultures. Understanding how to read and use visual messages provides the students with a set of tools that can benefit their growth in any field they decide to explore. Photography in particular is so pervasive and entrenched in our society that being visually literate is a necessity.
A degree in visual arts opens opportunities to many fields that our students learn to approach with a creative mindset.
For the photographic field, the main path nowadays would be working as a freelance photographer which means constantly seeking collaborations with clients in different fields like fashion, architecture, design, journalism, hospitality, or art galleries. Florence, Italy, and Europe, in general, offer an endless range of opportunities.