From an idea by director Gigi Cristoforetti, the new project SANTA by the Centro Coreografico Nazionale / Aterballetto, in co-production with the Sanpapié Company, is an urban experience between art and dance curated by journalist and cultural communicator Nicolas Ballario, through a journey that unfolds between the choreographic actions of Lara Guidetti and the works of Maurizio Cattelan, one of the most renowned and controversial contemporary Italian artists, famous for his provocative and ironic language.
The new project SANTA by the Centro Coreografico Nazionale / Aterballetto, co-produced with Compagnia Sanpapié, is an urban experience blending art and dance. Conceived in collaboration with curator and cultural communicator Nicolas Ballario and choreographer Lara Guidetti, the project features artworks by Maurizio Cattelan—such as the homeless figure seen in the photo—as central protagonists.
Starting June 12, for three weekends, audiences will be guided through Pavilions 17 and 18 of Reggiane Parco Innovazione: an urban regeneration project that has transformed a former industrial site in the Santa Croce district of Reggio Emilia (hence the name SANTA) into a hub for research, culture, and new technologies.
Wearing silent-disco headphones and guided by the voice of Nicolas Ballario along with choreographic actions, visitors will experience a unique perceptual journey that weaves together historical memory and architecture—an invitation to imagine new futures within one of the city’s symbolic spaces.
It’s something that resembles a kind of ritual, where the final destination of the site-specific performance is not immediately revealed. Only those who take part—rewarded for placing their trust in this artistic offering—will discover something truly unexpected. And perhaps it is precisely for this reason that the title SANTA was chosen.
