Samara Editions delivers performance art to homes in a box

Samara Editions, a new independent platform, launches a project that sends performance art directly to people's homes in a box. The initiative was conceived by a curatorial team consisting of Eva Neklyaeva (independent curator, Milan-Helsinki), Lisa Gilardino (curator and performing arts organizer, Bologna), and Marco Cendron (art director of POMO, a visual communication studio, Milan). Inspired by pandemic restrictions that limit direct engagement with art, the project aims to create intimate or collective experiences of performance. The box contains instructions to be executed by the recipient, who discovers the content only upon opening—no prior details are given. A Telegram channel (@samaraeditions) provides additional context and articles. In 2021, six performances will be produced and shipped, including new works by Kate McIntosh and Jenna Sutela. Artists are invited to apply to experiment with this format. The first performance is "Fionde" by Chiara Bersani, with musical commentary by Ilaria Lemmo. The action was previously presented at the Oslo International Theatre Festival, will be part of the Spring Festival of Performing Arts in Utrecht in May, and is co-produced by Black Box Theatre. Promotional ticket price is €23 instead of €30.