An entrance, a long park lane, stands (all the same), handicrafts, bars, little restaurants, social action stands against repression, sausages, victories and defeats, debates – many of them improvised, some of them interesting, others of them festive, some concerts, young people’s handmade items, political speeches, halting attempts to improve the image, and a sea of people. This is the Festival dell’Unità. The public has changed. There are refined tv commercials and images daubed on newspapers. Every consumer item is presented with sophisticated techniques. There are very high demands as to the levels of quality, content, and image of every product, including political rallies.
Inside the festival area there is a wide-ranging spectacular event that should be experienced freely. An area is to be transformed into a magic container for a journey on the borderline of theatrical performance and figurative art. There is a natural amphitheatre – a field surrounded by centuries-old trees. At its centre there is a fountain with three spouts. A group of people emerges. These are figures completely covered by a veil, like vestal virgins. They walk towards the fountain in the middle. Some of these go into the water and uncover the face. It is a horse’s head. Its ritual bath transforms it. As it comes out of the water its equine nature becomes more and more complete. You see that they process towards a temple. Among its columns there is a great White Horse. The metaphysical fixedness of the entire work is animated and transformed by the Light. A Laser bounces off mirrors and blows the temple up into a thousand pieces. Like a pen, the Laser paints the figures and breaks up the geometry of the space. The field is like a lake. It is silent and is painted in emerald green concentric circles that trace rings around the fountain’s water spouts. Then the rays reflected off fragmented convex mirrors load the foliage of the trees with thousands of impossible fruits.
This is a tribute to Giorgio de Chirico that was strongly inspired by Turin, the metaphysical city.