L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano O n A p r i l 2 2 n d e a c h y e a r , E a r t h D a y serves as a vital annual oppor- tunity to demonstrate wide- spread commitment to envi- ronmental protection. This global event, created on April 22, 1970, and coordinated by w w w . e a r t h d a y . o r g , n o w mobilizes over 1 billion peo- ple in more than 193 coun- tries. During what was its 55th a n n i v e r s a r y , t h e I t a l i a n Cultural Institute welco- med ORA: the Limits of the Planet, a special perfor- mance of live video mapping and original music featuring s o u n d s f r o m s p a c e a n d Earth. The project was reali- z e d w i t h t h e s u p p o r t a n d scientific contributions of E S A E u r o p e a n S p a c e Agency, ASI Italian Space Agency, EGO European Gravitational Observa- tory, and INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology. These institutions made available t o I m a g i n a r i u m s o u n d s f r o m s p a c e a n d u n d e r - ground. IIC Director, Alberta Lai, shared what bringing this performance to San Franci- sco was all about: "The show is more than a reflection on our responsibilities towards the Earth and on the impact of our daily choices on our planet; it is a call. A call to recognize the fragility of our world, the beauty of Nature that is worth saving. On this Earth Day, may art move us toward awareness, and awa- reness into action." ORA is produced by Ima- ginarium, a Tuscan studio l a u n c h e d i n 2 0 1 1 , a b l e t o establish a strong internatio- nal presence in set design and visual arts for opera and both classical and pop music. B e h i n d t h e s c e n e s i s t h e dynamic duo Davide Gian- n o n i a n d F r a n c e s c a P a s q u i n u c c i . T h e i r r i c h backgrounds in music, litera- ture, art, and theater form the foundation of their inno- vative approach. Over the years, they've developed a unique research focus on the synergy between traditional m a t e r i a l a r t s a n d d i g i t a l technologies, with video- m a p p i n g b e c o m i n g a k e y element in their narrative and in the construction of e t h e r e a l s p a c e s . T h e i r d i s t i n c t i v e s u r r e a l s t y l e draws inspiration from the poetic structures and visio- nary "madness" of Italian Baroque theater. The project ORA focuses on the scientific concept of "planetary limits," and exa- mines the nine key environ- mental processes that enable Earth's self-regulation. Our conversation with them after the performance centered on t h e i r i n s p i r a t i o n a n d t h e unfolding of their creative process. An illustrator by trade, Francesca Pasquinucci brings a rich understanding of theatrical history to her work. She graduated from the University of Pisa with a specialization in pop rock show design. Her further s p e c i a l i z a t i o n i n I t a l i a n o p e r a a n d d i g i t a l s c e n o - g r a p h y l e d h e r t o a m o r e artistic approach, merging digital techniques with the tactile beauty of traditional drawing and material sceno- graphy. A professor of orchestra with a double bass degree f r o m t h e C o n s e r v a t o r i o Luigi Boccherini in Lucca, Davide Giannoni is also a dedicated scholar of anima- tion technology. His experti- se lies in the development of innovative artistic content tailored for live performan- ces and immersive multime- dia installations. " O u r s t u d i o ' s j o u r n e y s t a r t e d i n t h e w o r l d o f o p e r a , a n d o u r c r e a t i v e c u r i o s i t y s o o n l e d u s t o engage with social and poli- tical issues through projects i n d i v e r s e c o n t e x t s . T h i s expansion sparked our inve- stigation into videomapping and digital arts, allowing us to integrate technology with our foundational techniques in traditional paper drawing and animation. This fusion became the cornerstone of a style that echoes the visual language and theatrical spi- rit of Italian Baroque thea- ter." O R A T h e L i m i t s o f t h e Planet is presented at a time w h e n g l o b a l r e n e w a b l e energy initiatives and com- munity engagement are cri- tically needed. "We try to engage with as many people as possible, and we ask our- selves the same questions that everybody else does," t h e y s h a r e d . " T h r o u g h a c o m b i n a t i o n o f s c i e n t i f i c i n s i g h t s , i n f o r m e d b y experts in climatology and s p a c e , a n d a n a n i m a t i o n project brought to life with felt-tip pen on paper and digital artistry, our perfor- mance develops as a journey into the limits of the planet." T h e 5 0 - m i n u t e s h o w relies on the power of ima- g e s a n d m u s i c , o n b o t h visual and sound effects. To create an immersive expe- rience, ORA utilizes unique s o u n d s s o u r c e d d i r e c t l y from scientific exploration, w h i c h i n c l u d e t h e v a s t "sounds" of space (provided b y E S A E u r o p e a n S p a c e Agency); the distinct, almost human-like "sounds" of the space station (courtesy of ASI Agenzia Spaziale Italia- na); the elusive "sounds" of gravitational waves (from EGO European Gravitatio- nal Observatory in Cascina); and the rumbling "sounds" of volcanic activity (provided by INGV Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). "We use music and ima- ges because they represent a universal language. We are musicians, so we found that the vibration coming from r e a l i n s t r u m e n t s i s w h a t really allows us to engage with people. It's the strings that touch the soul; it is part of our style to be speaking less and doing more. This is a kind of language that does not need any kind of transla- tion and allows the language barrier to disappear." When it comes to inspira- tion, the duo found some by looking into what they're passionate about. There's an interest in space and the sto- ries coming with it; then, there's a sort of addiction to opera theatre and in particu- lar Puccini. It also comes as no surprise the reference to the Beatles through their visual arts production. "We certainly grew up with the Beatles; Francesca is truly a huge fan. We take a lot from that because we were struck by this style. We also used t h e s t u d y m a d e b y P e t e r Gabriel on the environment and the impact of human beings on the Earth. That was crucial, and we try to p r a c t i c e t h a t n a r r a t i v e method every day. Ultima- tely, what we would like to happen is for the audience to make a new story, following the story of climate change. We always wanted to work with poetry and science, but the first time we met with some scientists in Italy and E u r o p e , i t w a s h a r d t o explain the idea of combi- ning poetics with scientific studies. Music though allows everybody's work to find a common ground, especially thanks to Puccini and his compositions." B e y o n d E a r t h D a y a n d Earth Month, the key que- stions are how to maintain a high level of public engage- ment with environmental issues, and how a perfor- mance like ORA : the Limits of the Planet can contribute to this ongoing awareness. Both artists share a common goal: "We are at a moment in history when, as artists, we can no longer be self- referential. We ask ourselves how we can help, how we can be useful. Perhaps art s h o u l d t a k e o n t h e d a i l y responsibility of addressing these issues. This commit- ment should feel natural, not forced. As artists, we must consider how to build a m e a n i n g f u l r e l a t i o n s h i p with people and reflect on w h a t w e c a n o f f e r t h e m . T h e s e a r e t h e t h e m e s w e believe should come first." SERENA PERFETTO Studio Imaginarium unveils ORA, an Earth Day performance of space and Earth's sounds Francesca Pasquinucci and Davide Giannoni launched Imaginarium in 2011 (Photo: Lorenzo Ratti) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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