Invisible Topographies - Blind-folded walks at the end of the trainline

Back from the Rifrazioni residency... completed three separate one-to-one performances based on a blind-folded walk through a specific location. It was in interesting experience, the festival organisers where really hard-working and dedicated. And apart from the chaotic environment of 30 or so artist in a concrete state school overlooking the mediterranean sea, I was able to carve out some thinking space....

My original intention was to create one walk and repeat it in various sites but it became clear that each site had its own significance I wanted to respond to, and metaphors I wanted to create. So I ended up devising three narrated walks that took in the local environment - part fact part fiction - and in all cases were a parallel to how I sensed each space reflected the larger landscape of the city and the culture around it...

Anzio and Nettuno are these twin cities bordering each other and hugging the Mediterranean.

Like good siblings they compete incessantly and draw their own identities in their comparisons. Though at first glance the sun, the beach, the tans, the streets, the palm trees have this really elevating holiday feel, in actuality I sensed a deep tremor of insecurity, struggling identity and financial pain. But can't this be said about everywhere and everyone?

The three sites were the Medieval quarter of Nettuno, The port of Anzio and the train station of Nettuno. I mixed the actual inhabitants of each area with metaphorical ones, shadows of people who existing in each place and who in some ways I felt represented the spirit locked in the brick and mortar. I'd give more away but I plan to translate the walks back into English from Italian and give them in London as part of the Translocated preview coming up in a few weeks...

It was great to put the dvd of life on pause and go into a totally new situation to create and make. After burning the candle on both ends with the PhD and teaching, being free and creative helped me bring all the loose threads of my interests together and create something that I felt was really successful.  The participants emerged from the walk, opening their eyes somewhat dazed, and often sought me out to give me a big hug and thank me, which was really nice...

After all each walk was really just an analogy of our own lives, how does waiting at a train station for days, years, ages, reflect how our own longing for something? The port, with its fishing industry, seemed like the womb of the city, from where it was born to grow upon on the shores and then die back into the sea. The waves were like each generation, you barely had a chance to grow big and strong before you were collapsing upon the shores staring back at the next generation that took your place....

Well the sun is still shining in London today so alas back to work, check out some of the other festival artists and their work, interesting stuff...