Maurizio Cattelan works feature in Reggio Emilia performance 'Santa'

The performance 'Santa' debuts June 12 at Reggiane Parco Innovazione in Reggio Emilia, Italy, running through July 5. Conceived by Gigi Cristoforetti, director of Centro Coreografico Nazionale/Aterballetto, and curated by Nicolas Ballario, who also wrote the dramaturgy, the piece features choreography by Lara Guidetti, artistic director of Sanpapié. Three works by Maurizio Cattelan—'Homeless' (2025), 'L.O.V.E.' (2010), and 'Untitled' (2001)—are integrated into the site-specific, itinerant performance. Audience members wear headphones and move through the former Officine Meccaniche Reggiane industrial complex, accompanied by music, Ballario's narration, and four dancers. The project explores the site's history, including its origins in 1904, wartime arms production, a 1943 strike where nine workers were executed, and post-war struggles. The area has recently been regenerated into Reggiane Parco Innovazione, housing offices, startups, a theater, and a skate park. Ballario describes 'Santa' as an experiment in blending visual and performing arts, addressing urban nostalgia and envisioning a future without disciplinary boundaries.