Lightness of Medusa

Inspired by Italo Calvino’s essay Leggerezza and the myth of Medusa, this performance explores the tension between lightness and heaviness—two forces that define the human experience. Medusa, both cursed and empowered, embodies this duality. Through a bodily research that seeks to "subtract weight" from the body, the performance reinterprets Medusa’s myth, positioning her as a symbol of female power that resists the male gaze and a woman burdened by an undeserved fate.

The performance unfolds through a visceral exploration of the human body, guided by the desire to free it from its inherent weight. In this reinterpretation, Medusa represents the constant inner conflict between our inevitable physicality and the yearning for spiritual and emotional lightness

The soundscape, created by Giovanna Zanchetta, is an integral part of this journey. Inspired by body movement and rhythm, it gives voice to the body’s silence. A mix of sound elements—evoking the sea, wind, sharp blades, and thunder—amplifies Medusa’s struggle and transformation. The sounds are intertwined with verses from Percy B. Shelley’s On the Medusa of Leonardo da Vinci in the Florence Gallery, adding layers of emotional depth to the narrative.

In this performance, Medusa is not just a figure of myth but a powerful symbol of resistance and self-determination.