Virgilio Sieni on Inhabiting Museums Through Dance and Gesture

Choreographer and dancer Virgilio Sieni discusses his project 'Abitare il Museo – Il corpo dell’Arte', which reimagines museum spaces through embodied practices. The project was the focus of the conference 'Abitare il museo. Il corpo dell’arte' held on November 25, 2024, at Cango Cantieri Goldonetta in Florence. Sieni, director of the Centro nazionale di Produzione della Danza, develops gesture-based lessons that encourage participants to engage with artworks physically and empathetically, fostering individual well-being and community bonds. He emphasizes that these practices are not about turning museums into gyms but about creating a resonance between body and artwork. Examples include work on Antonello da Messina's 'Annunciata', the 'Toro Farnese' at the Museo Archeologico di Napoli, and frescoes by Beato Angelico at the Convento di San Marco. Sieni has also collaborated with contemporary art, including works by Cy Twombly and Pino Pascali. The project aims to counteract superficial museum visits dominated by smartphone photography, promoting sustained, reflective engagement. Sieni notes that these practices create 'nomadic communities' of participants who return across different projects and cities, as seen in a three-year residency at Palazzo Te in Mantua titled 'La cittadinanza del corpo'.