Margherita Morgantin's train residency becomes audio performance in Milan

Italian artist Margherita Morgantin (born 1971, Venice) has completed a month-long artist residency that took place entirely on Trenord trains, covering 2,000 kilometers across Lombardy and neighboring regions. Titled "Cronache dal viaggio breve, 15.289.000 minuti" (Chronicles from the short journey, 15,289,000 minutes), the project began on August 29, 2024, and involved Morgantin traveling, changing trains, stopping at stations, and documenting her observations. The resulting audio performance functions as a travel diary, featuring her spoken reflections on time, delays, and possibilities, along with mechanical train sounds, schedules, and numbers. The project was created with Beatrice Goldoni and Simone Schiavo in collaboration with Trenord. A key inspiration is the phrase "Stazione di trasformazione e conversione" (Transformation and conversion station) found on the facade of the Novate Milanese electrical substation (SSE), built in 1929 during social electrification. Morgantin transforms this technical process into an artistic one. The exhibition of the residency is on view at Casa degli Artisti in Milan until September 29, 2024, inviting visitors to experience their own train journey through the audio piece and installations. Paolo Garavaglia, Director of Communication, External Relations and Sustainability at Trenord, stated the project stems from a desire to view their work through the lens of art.