Santarcangelo Festival 2018: Nicola Gunn and Ingri Fiksdal on Performance and Ritual

The 48th edition of the Santarcangelo Festival concluded on July 15, 2018. Artistic directors Eva Neklyaeva and Lisa Gilardino invited Australian artist Nicola Gunn and Norwegian artist Ingri Fiksdal to present their works. Gunn debuted in Italy with 'Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster,' a performance blending philosophy and personal anecdote about a man throwing stones into a canal in Belgium, exploring human fragility and ethical perspectives. Fiksdal presented two site-specific ritual performances: 'Night Tripper' (2012), a collaboration with set designer Signe Becker and composer Ingvild Langgård, staged at sunset in a wooded hill near Santarcangelo, and 'Diorama' (2017), staged at dawn on a Rimini beach. Both works depend on the sun's position and natural light changes. Fiksdal emphasized co-existence with the environment and slow perception shifts. Gunn discussed her artistic strategy of using narrative to question behavior and improve relationships, noting that her perspective is shaped by being a woman, though she does not label her work as feminist. The festival featured a strong presence of female artists. Fiksdal's costumes for 'Diorama' were designed by Fredrik Floen; for a 2016 production 'STATE,' she collaborated with Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov.