All ready for the 2023 edition of Ludicomix. On 27 and 28 May 2023, the event, sponsored by the Tuscany Region, the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Municipality of Empoli, will return to the city celebrating the universe of comics, games and pop culture. This annual event, which draws fans of all ages from across the region, will span the entire downtown area: now in its 18th year, Ludicomix promises to be an epic celebration of comics and gaming, offering a variety of engaging activities for all passionate. From superhero lovers to gaming fans, cosplayers to collectors, the event, which sees the collaboration of the National Association of Friends of Comics and Illustration, will offer something special for every pop culture enthusiast.
The eighteenth edition was presented during a press conference, today, Monday 22 May 2023, in the Palazzo Comunale, in the presence of the mayor of Empoli, Brenda Barnini, the councilor for culture of the Municipality of Empoli, Giulia Terreni, by Tommaso Alderighi , president of the Ludicomix APS association, by Giulia Quagli and Arianna Bellucci of the illustrator collective Le Vanvere, by Miriam Borgioli of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, by Andrea Taddei and Niccolò Covoni for Edutainment & Social, by Selene Sottile, referent for the social networks of Ludicomix, by Livio Carella, responsible for the comics area, and by Ilaria Fuligni, Fantasy Park coordinator.
The main areas of Ludicomix 2023? There is the PalaExpo: the historic location of the event will host numerous exhibition stands offering comics, graphic novels, board games, video games, action figures, gadgets and much more. Participants will have the opportunity to discover the latest news and buy exclusive items to enrich their collection. In addition, there will be talented artists and illustrators from the sector, in collaboration with Decimo Pianeta, who will perform live demonstrations and offer the opportunity to meet and learn about their works in a dedicated area. Then there are the ‘Game and Videogame’ area, where tables will be set up for board games and tournaments, a game room for free play and booths and consoles for gaming enthusiasts, and the ‘Meeting Room’, where conferences will be organized and thematic workshops to delve into various aspects of the universe of comics, games and pop culture. Industry experts will share their experience and offer useful advice for aspiring authors, artists and enthusiasts. Don’t miss the ‘Fantasy Park’: the Mariambini park will host various associations that animate the event, ranging from fantasy to science fiction, with numerous activities and thematic stands for total immersion in the worlds of fantasy. Bizarre characters will involve the audience of adults and children and there will be no room for boredom. Piazza della Vittoria will instead be home to the ‘Ludicomix Show’, the main stage of the event: the day of 27 will be dedicated to the atmospheres of director Tim Burton, with a completely free evening show by the Spleen Orchestra which will bring back the atmospheres of his works with a high-impact musical, to which flash mobs and themed shows will be added; the day of 28 instead will turn the spotlight on other activities, among which the Cosplay Contest and a live dubbing show stand out. Among the main areas of Ludicomix 2023 there is also the ‘Illustration Festival’: in collaboration with the Le Vanvere collective, the Augustinian cloister will be the fulcrum of our beloved illustration festival, one of the most important in Italy. It will host various artists and illustrators who will animate a market dedicated to enthusiasts and activities related to the world of illustration. The exhibitions set up by the Le Vanvere collective will extend in the city center between via Del Papa and Vicolo Santo Stefano.
Also noteworthy are the expected ‘Artistic performances’: the collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence continues this year as well, invading Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, where the students of the Academy will create a gigantic game of the goose on the spot, with which it will then be possible to play. To this will be added spaces dedicated to Street Art and a meeting point in collaboration with the NienteDove bookshop.
Among the novelties of the 2023 edition of the event, there is ‘Edutainment & Social’: this year, for the first time, the Ludicomix association wants to give structure to one of the pillars of its mission, linking entertainment and culture and, from this idea, the first university conference dedicated to this topic was born, which will take place on the 28th at the Glass Museum of Empoli, in collaboration with the universities of Florence and Pisa. There will be professors, researchers and popularizers from all over Italy to share knowledge and offer an educational and fun experience. To participate, it is necessary to register, even on the spot, subject to availability.
In addition to the above, there will be other initiatives and events scattered throughout the city centre, corners for photos with cosplayers, areas dedicated to ancient games and more. Impossible to describe everything that will be present during the two days of Ludicomix 2023, an opportunity to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of comics, games and pop culture and experience unforgettable moments.
All the useful information about the event and the purchase of tickets are online on the official website of Ludicomix, www.ludicomix.it.
STATEMENTS
“Ludicomix is one of the historic events of our city: this year it turns 18 – underlines councilor Terreni – This edition will involve many places in the city, from the Palazzo delle Esposizioni to the Mariambini Park, up to the historic centre, Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, the Augustinian Cloister and the Glass Museum, also involving Piazza della Vittoria. As a municipal administration, we can only support a project of this kind which makes the city the capital of pop culture, enlivening it with enthusiasts and the curious. Last year, Ludicomix was very successful, this year the program is richer than ever. Thanks to all those who work every year to make this event a reality”.
“The organization of this event is a commitment that grows year after year – explains the president of the Ludicomix association, Alderighi – We try to renew ourselves and to involve those who passionately carry out projects linked to the world of imagination and free time. The purpose for which we have been doing this event for 18 years is to entertain but also to promote pop culture, comics, games, video games and everything around. Our experience is among the longest in Italy and I am grateful to all those who contribute to each edition because they have helped us get here, trying to give depth to these passions”.
“The event grows from year to year – says Livio Carella, responsible for the Comics area at the PalaExpo – This year we have opened registrations to all those who want to be volunteers for the event. The number of events is really large, just think that the PalaExpo will host board games, card tournaments, video game stations, illustrators, exhibitors, designers and many meetings and workshops in the dedicated room”.
“An area that takes care of entertaining adults and children with various types of activities, from workshops to shows: this will be the Fantasy Park, at Mariambini Park – says Fuligni, coordinator of the area – There will also be opportunities to many local realities, starting from the dance schools, and there will be plenty of space for the artisans’ stands, with many new realities alongside those that have become constant presences from year to year. So many things to discover and so many activities to do”.
“More than eight years ago the Ludicomix team trusted us and our projects – underlines Quagli on behalf of the Le Vanvere collective – It is an original choice and this year we are trying to raise the bar by bringing many different initiatives, not only for the little ones. There will be exhibitions characterized by an important visual grandeur, not to be missed are three personal exhibitions of Italian and international illustrators with very different languages”.
“Last year, there was the first step in the collaboration between the Academy, where I graduated, and the Empoli event, precisely with Le Vanvere – recalls Miriam Borgioli – This year the project has expanded: a performance in two days in the square which will lead to the creation of a game, thanks to drawing and painting, which, on Sunday afternoon, can be used by all those who wish. And the street art guys will keep us company, for an art project in collaboration with the Municipality. in practice Piazza Farinata degli Uberti will be a square dedicated to art”.
“Disclosure through new media is the theme at the center of the conference that will be hosted at the Glass Museum, for the first time in Empoli and at a national level, which will involve the University of Pisa and the University of Florence – say Taddei and Covoni , talking about the Edutainment & Social project – We have given students the opportunity to present projects, which have arrived in great numbers, and to give them a voice. We also received great attention from the teachers present with many different topics such as philosophy, philosophy of science, physics, political science, robotics and so on. And there will also be a theatrical show of two professors, an astrophysicist and a chemist, who will have a clash between superheroes”.