Dara Friedman's immersive video performance in a deconsecrated Cremona church

In the 17th-century church of San Carlo in Cremona, artist Dara Friedman (born 1968 in Bad Kreuznach) has created an immersive installation that transforms the entire space into an artwork. Upon entering, viewers are enveloped in an orange light achieved through colored films on the windows, emphasizing the physical quality of color. At the center, a large screen shows the video 'Mandorla,' whose almond shape emerged accidentally from overlapping footage of sunrises and sunsets filmed during quarantine. A panther appears, hypnotically moving its tail. Below the video, Friedman has drawn a chalk labyrinth—a metaphor for human life with a single entry and exit point—inviting viewers to participate performatively, entering with past experiences and emerging with new ones. Tension is heightened by an unsynchronized audio track combining two violin notes with bongo sounds. The exhibition is on view at San Carlo, Cremona in 2022.