Abitante is the result of an artistic residency at Falia*, Lozio: a work that explores the connection between human beings and planet Earth, with a performance by a dancer as the central element.
The work consists of four double fabrics, enriched with mother-of-pearl buttons, symbolising human actions, while the fabrics represent nature and its colours. Through the gesture of the dancer joining the buttonholes to the buttons, a continuous transformation of the configuration of the fabrics takes place. This act provides a visual spectacle and visualises the multiple interactions, both constructive and destructive, between the inhabitants and their environment.
The performance becomes a visual and bodily testimony to the dynamics that bind the inhabitants to their environment, inviting viewers to explore their role as inhabitants and to reflect on their responsibilities towards this Planet. In this way, the work is an artistic representation and an invitation to a deeper awareness and reflection on our connection with the world around us.
Abitante blends into the landscape of Val Camonica, finding expression in the picturesque disused quarry in Sommaprada. What makes this work even more significant is the origin of its elements, all of which come from the area that hosted me during my artistic residency.
The fabrics, made from old sheets, take on new shapes and colours thanks to the dyeing with local plants such as walnut husk and Hypericum perforatum; the mother-of-pearl buttons from an old button factory in the area underline the careful and conscious choice of materials, thus establishing a palpable connection with this place.