An artistic coexistence that of Altofest, the widespread festival of contemporary performing arts which from 19 to 23 June will see a series of international artists perform in private homes in Naples. A project born in 2011 from the mind and experience of Anna Gesualdi And John Thronefounders, directors and Neapolitan artists, body and soul of the multidisciplinary company TeatriInGestazione.
«In those years of global crisis we felt the ineffectiveness of the show format compared to what was happening politically on a global level. We perceived the urgency of amplifying our voice, making our contribution to history. We felt the need for greater participation, to impact, with value, in the daily lives of spectators. We therefore began to question ourselves about the various types of containers for artistic representations and we have extended the concept of performance to the entire city, to the residents, somehow overcoming the consumption of the spectacle, transforming it into an act of artistic, poetic and political resistancemaking it a participatory event,” he tells us Anna Gesualdi.
Creative cohabitation
International artists, diligently selected by the founders and the research committee, made up of authors, researchers and scholars, are hosted in private homes for two weeks for an artistic residency which ends with the opening of the works to the public.
In these domestic places, artists and residents, the latter called “space donors”, they share daily gestures, moments of life, even ordinary ones, where research, experimentation and proof of the artistic act merges and is shaped with the surrounding environment changing the lives of those who animate it. The work inserts itself in a disruptive way into usual situations to enrich and give a new meaning to the poetics of existence.
«These 15 days of residence are fundamental – says Giovanni Trono – In this period of time we ask artists to translate works that have already debuted in a formal space, into a domestic environment. We ask them to translate their work into another semantic universe because obviously a house is full of objects, colours, architectural arrangements which already have their own language, a scenic presence, already express an essence”.
A dramaturgy by emergence
Altofest is an experimental format for making and proposing shows which has been awarded byEFA (European Festival Association) With the’EFFE AWARD 2017-18being among the six best festivals in Europe and in 2018 it was included as a best practice in the annual report “I am culture 2018”curated by the Symbola Foundation.
An experimental practice and constant research that starts from the methodology of selecting the various artists through an international call. «The selection process – underlines Gesualdi – takes a long time since it is the result of a long analysis and observation of the contents. In this careful evaluation, a sort of plot emerges that emerges between the various works. From this study was born what we define a dramaturgy by emergence that identifies the theme of each edition».
The Game is the plot that intertwines and is developed in the eight performances that characterize this year’s programming. The game, therefore, expressed in the most varied meanings: social, political, psychological, what is suffered, what is applied, to name a few.
Spectator-actor
In these performances the spectator is not a passive recipient, but becomes an integral part of the creative actin which he participates with awareness and great responsibility.
«This festival, it has a strong impact on the city as it creates a community that is temporary and permanent at the same time. Temporary due to the influx of spectators who enter and exit these private homes during the day, who cross the streets, the neighborhoods and who recognize each other on the street by crossing paths, making themselves visible. Permanent because the residents who participated in the entire process feel a great sense of belonging, they feel that the experience they have lived has radically changed their attitude, probably not only to contemporary art, but also to life in general. We, for our part, cWe share all the construction steps with this community. During the year we work with all citizens, we tell them step by step what is happening and we consult with them. Altofest is not just a performing arts festival, but it is an action offered to the city which we as citizens take responsibility for. It is an offer of political action, clearly expressed through our language», says Gesualdi.
Sharing moments
A political and poetic act that is strengthened through the exchange of reflections and ideas with all the participants: artists and citizens. During the five days of the festival, in fact, two moments of conviviality mark the time and the transition between one performance and another: picnicwhere the community gathers for a lunch break, to share a meal and discuss various experiences, and Voice Over, a series of events where artists and spectators immerse themselves in the analysis and reflection of the works seen. All under the splendid setting of Riot Studioa space dedicated to experimental and independent arts, inside Palazzo Marigliano, a 1500 building that houses the headquarters of the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Campania.
A model of making and proposing entertainment proposed by Altofest which over the years has crossed the Neapolitan borders, in fact in 2018 it appeared in Malta, in 2019 in Matera, the capital of culture. «After the end of the festival – concludes Gesualdi – we will focus on building the program Altofest for Trencinin Slovakia, European capital of culture of 2026″
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Source: Vanity Fair
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