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suffering life models in florence are threatening legal action over working conditions

Life models at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Florence Academy of Fine Arts) are threatening legal action and a potential nude protest over poor working conditions. They complain of exhausting work, insufficient breaks, and renewable annual contracts offering 500 hours over 11 months with no insurance, holidays, sick leave, or timecards. The models argue that a 2024 Italian ministry law requiring permanent contracts for those with three years of service does not apply to them because the academy claims they were hired under simplified procedures. Union president Giancarlo Iacomini met with academy director Gaia Bindi on April 9 to seek a resolution, calling the situation "deeply contradictory."

article news schedule Apr 29, 2025 visibility 9 link 2 artists

‘Exhausted’ life models at Florence art academy threaten nude protest

Life models at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Florence Academy of Fine Arts) are threatening legal action and a nude protest in the academy's courtyard over poor working conditions. They describe their work as “exhausting,” involving eight-hour sessions with minimal breaks, and say their renewable annual contracts—offering 500 hours over 11 months—lack insurance, paid leave, sick days, or a digital timecard. The dispute centers on Italy’s ministry of universities and research rules introduced last year, which the academy interprets as excluding models hired more than three years ago under simplified procedures from permanent contracts. Union president Giancarlo Iacomini has met with academy director Gaia Bindi to seek a resolution, while the academy says it will publish a new public recruitment notice that counts previous contracts as qualifications.

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