Alessandro Sciarroni's Augusto: Forced Laughter as Performance
Alessandro Sciarroni's performance 'Augusto' explores forced laughter as a collective choreographic action, inspired by Fellini's 'I Clowns' and Bergson's 'Le Rire'. The work, created with performers over months, presents a society compelled to laugh for an hour without any comedic stimulus. Sciarroni, awarded the Golden Lion for Dance in 2019, emphasizes the physical and emotional toll on performers, who must sustain laughter continuously, blurring the line between joy and pain. The piece, part of a broader research into vulnerability and empathy, premiered in the context of post-pandemic isolation. The interview also discusses the 'HUMANS' video portrait series curated by Giovanni Viceconte, which examines contemporary unease through keywords like 'Malessere', 'Lockdown', and 'Stigma'.
Key facts
- Alessandro Sciarroni created 'Augusto', a performance about forced laughter.
- The title references both the clown archetype and Roman emperors.
- Sciarroni won the Golden Lion for Dance in 2019.
- The performance involves nine bodies laughing continuously for an hour.
- Influences include Fellini's 'I Clowns' and Bergson's 'Le Rire'.
- The work was developed over months of rehearsal with performers.
- Giovanni Viceconte curated the 'HUMANS' video portrait series.
- The series uses keywords like 'Malessere' and 'Lockdown' to explore contemporary unease.
Entities
Artists
- Alessandro Sciarroni
- Giovanni Viceconte
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- San Benedetto del Tronto
- Italy
- Cosenza