As our student ambassadors to reflect on all they’ve seen and done here in their 3 months studying abroad in Italy, we asked them to submit some photographs documenting Florence and of course, a photo of themselves! It was difficult choosing the best photo among all of the great submissions, but after a heated debate, here are the winners:
Kaitlin J. with her self-portrait in front of the Duomo:
Caption: “Che piccolo!” (How tiny!)
And Fiona O-Young’s picture of a famous Florentine sculpture, around the corner from AIFS school:
Caption:
This statue is so emotionally gripping and drastic. The twisting figures and the image of a girl being grabbed and about to be taken away (even though in this case it’s not a positive departure; the piece is called The Rape of Polyxena ).
Putting aside the statues mythological content, I can interpret this statue as a call to adventure, which is the beckoning of an adventure to a “hero.”
Joseph Campbell writes:
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man”
I’m a 19-year-old student living away from home for the first time. I’ve ventured from my common day into what feels like a supernatural wonder. I feel like I’ve been stolen into an adventure, and can sometimes feel a secret burst of exhilaration that I’m living in Florence; I’m living an adventure.
Both of these photos perfectly captured the juxtaposition of life in Florence, with the normally massive size of the Duomo shrunken into a tiny toy-sized object and a beautiful image of some of the artwork that makes Florence into an outdoor museum. Great job, ladies!
AIFS in Florence 