Santarcangelo Festival: “Enough Not Enough” July 7-16, 2023 (Italy)

The Santarcangelo Festival, a renowned festival in the contemporary performance scene, is set for its 53rd edition with the theme “Enough Not Enough”. Known for its commitment to unconventional forms and experimental performances, the festival this year aims to reflect on the intersections of the ‘real’, the ‘potential’, and the ‘imaginary’.

In the current panorama of the performing arts, we are interested in how artists create alternative visions of reality which go significantly beyond what is recognised and assimilated. Looking at the works that we have invited to this edition of Santarcangelo Festival, we can conclude that in contemporary performing arts, the duplication, elaboration and narration of reality are increasingly giving way to speculative strategies that allow us to experience something that is not yet there, but that could exist. The tensions we are interested in arise precisely where what is real and lived converges with what is potential and imaginary. This year’s artistic proposals challenge established ways of reading reality. They are an invitation to meditate and create different perspectives on the communities and relationships at the basis of our social coexistence. Because what else should the experience of a festival like Santarcangelo be, if not an attempt and an opportunity to break out of usual patterns of thought and confront not only the world we live in but especially the reality we could and would like to live in? Starting from these artistic proposals, we look for the answers to some questions: where are our limits of consent and the critical points that trigger dissent? Where and when does change begin? We live in a world full of inequalities, injustice and exploitation. Are we ready to declare that we have crossed the line? And what are the consequences?

Tomasz Kireńczuk
Artistic Director Santarcangelo Festival

Highlights 2023

blackmilk by Tiran Willemse

Tiran Willemse, a South African artist based in Zurich and Berlin, brings “blackmilk”, the first part of the “Trompoppies” trilogy. In this performance, Willemse melds traditional drum majorettes movements with contemporary gestures to scrutinize and challenge the standard representations of African and Afro-American male-presenting bodies. The performance promises an insightful exploration of identity and race in the performance arts. Photo – Tiran Willemse, blackmilk © Mayra Wallraff

“Unending love, or love dies, on repeat like it’s endless” by Alex Baczyński-Jenkins

Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, an artist and choreographer from Warsaw and Berlin, presents a performance centered around the interplay of desire, dance, time, and love. In this work, Baczyński-Jenkins utilizes the power of performance to delve into the politics of desire, offering audiences a contemplative narrative about sensation, sociality, and change. Photo: Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, Unending love, or love dies, on repeat like it’s endless, Courtesy Lafayette Anticipations © Chloé Magdelaine

“Batty Bwoy” by Harald Beharie

In “Batty Bwoy”, Harald Beharie, a Norwegian-Jamaican artist based in Oslo, examines the misconceptions and stereotypes associated with queer bodies and identities. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including Jamaican community resilience and Italian 70s giallo films, Beharie aims to question and redefine established narratives around the queer body. Photo: Harald Beharie, Batty Bwoy, © Julie Hrncirova

“A Plot / A Scandal” by Ligia Lewis

Berlin-based artist Ligia Lewis presents “A Plot/A Scandal”, an exploratory performance reflecting on the concept of scandals and societal boundaries. In her work, Lewis intertwines a spectrum of historical, political, and personal narratives, seeking to question the edges of representation while imagining a space for the unconventional.

This year, the Santarcangelo Festival invites audiences to step out of their comfort zones, posing critical questions about our existing realities and envisioning potential futures. Each performance in its unique way aims to redefine the boundaries of art and society, inviting spectators to partake in a dialogue of transformation and change. Photo: Ligia Lewis, A Plot / A Scandal, © Moritz Freudenberg

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