Pulsazioni#1_ECO

February 2019

The Pulsazioni project was conceived by Emilio Fantin with Fabiola Naldi, curator of the Intergrator installation, in the “House of Awakening”. Bellariva Hospital, Bologna.

Pulsazioni 2 took place at the Infomodo Bookshop (2020) and the Lyda Borelli Elderly Home in Bologna (2019).

Emilio Fantin and Fabiola Naldi continue their collaboration, awaiting to propose Pulsazioni 3.

“Pulsations” is a composition conceived in several “movements”.

The first “Pulsation” was born from the “Integrator” , an installation consisting in a labyrinth of metallic veils. At the center of the labyrinth we find several benches–actually high-backed Gothic chairs–hidden among the niches between veils, where the public is invited to sit in order to listen to stories, poems, and dreams recounted by survivors of deep coma state, guests of the “House of Awakenings” which is a branch of the Bellaria Hospital in Bologna. The narrative power of the voices of these survivors is compounded by the emotional load and intensity of these tales of awakenings. The guests of the “House of Awakenings” invite us into their world–only apparently distant–and into dialogue with us through waves of silence.

Why was this space [House of Awakenings] chosen for this project? Is there a danger of “exploiting” the pain of people–consciously or not–by putting them in the position of sharing their experiences within the context of an artistic installation?

The “House of Awakening” is not simply a place of healing and convalescence, but also a creative melting pot in which the expressive and artistic qualities of these patients make an impact upon our imagination. The spaces of the “House of Awakening” induce a particular atmosphere where bodies and souls seem to float in an inaccessible land. These survivors appear far away and yet  remain close by. Art deeply touches our minds and hearts, transforming every situation into a potentially unique communicative event where image and voice, memories and stories are catalyzed through an artist-generated space. Here imagination, transformation, and inner urges are generated through artistic action. Within this installation, an audience listens to survivors’ stories. The intention is to recreate a condition which alludes to that of the survivor: you are present in a shared common space and yet–hidden among the folds of the labyrinth–you are unable to see one another. The voice of the survivor is a voice of hope that makes itself felt, instilling strength in those present through the evocative power of emotion. Thus is the power of the single voice to bestow courage so that we might listen beyond the confines of the perceptible, towards a luminous reality beyond reason.