The decision by Uffizi Galleries to “get down with the kids” by launching a TikTok account appears to be paying off. The hugely popular youth-oriented app is known for its zany dance and comedy videos—so how would the grande old dame of Italian museums approach this most modern of social media platforms?
Some of the gems presented on the Uffizi stream include Bronzino’s famous dwarf (Ritratto del Nano Morgante, 1553) who is seen disappearing into woodland, his ample bulk dancing away to a hugely popular soundtrack by The Weeknd called Blinding Lights. In another inspired post, Pietro Tenerani’s dramatic winged sculpture Psyche Abandoned (around 1819) sits dolefully as Adele’s soaring ballad Someone Like You plays (“what a great country we are!” exclaims an Italian contributor).
We especially like Bronzino’s 16th-century Medici portraits who are seen jigging away to Auntie Hammy’s anthemic track Pew Pew Pew. Uffizi director Eike Schmidt discussed the TikTok move with Il Messaggero newspaper, saying that “at a difficult time like this, it is important to let yourself smile” (he has a point).