Francesca Cola's 'Stato di Grazia' Becomes Remote Participatory Project During COVID-19
During Italy's COVID-19 lockdown, artist Francesca Cola transformed her participatory project 'Stato di Grazia' from an in-person performance into a remote call guided by voice messages. Originally conceived in 2019, the project involved leading performers through deep visualization and meditation to create an image, photographed by Silvia Pastore. With the pandemic halting planned live phases, Cola, Pastore, and Cristina Pastrello (president of the association Oltre le Quinte) launched a public call. Participants received a gentle, neutral voice guide from Cola, focusing on interior space rather than bodily presence. Pastore then created photographs based on Cola's descriptions of participants' 'states of grace,' without knowing the individuals' identities. The resulting 19 works were first exhibited at spazio nòva in Novara. The call ended symbolically on May 3, 2020, coinciding with the expiration of Italy's lockdown decree. The photographic works and accompanying texts are now online at oltrelequinte.eu.
Key facts
- Project 'Stato di Grazia' was created by Francesca Cola in 2019.
- The project originally involved guiding performers in a corporeal imaginative process for a photograph by Silvia Pastore.
- Due to COVID-19, the project shifted to a remote call with a voice guide.
- Cristina Pastrello, president of Oltre le Quinte, collaborated on the project.
- 19 works were produced and first exhibited at spazio nòva in Novara.
- The call ended on May 3, 2020, the date of Italy's lockdown decree expiration.
- Works are online at www.oltrelequinte.eu.
- Pastore used various techniques, including using cellophane to recreate the sea and editing a childhood photo.
Entities
Artists
- Francesca Cola
- Silvia Pastore
Institutions
- Oltre le Quinte
- Artribune
- spazio nòva
Locations
- Novara
- Italy