KU

Renata Frana and
Elena d’Ascenzo (IT)
Villa Simonetta, Verbania

15.06.2025/6.00 p.m.

Duration: 40 min
Cost:Free entry with donation
Info and Reservation: +39 351 8081786 | info@crossproject.it

Elena D'Ascenzo and Renata Frana met in 2017, united by their search for distant but deeply connected sounds. Their artistic journey develops around the concept of ‘emptiness’ (Ku, 空), explored through a journey combining art, science and existence. They recover ancient sounds and traditions, interweaving raga, Maiella lullabies, Umbrian harvest songs and original compositions. Between tradition and experimentation, with psychedelic and electronic influences.

Elena D'Ascenzo is a singer and musician, passionate about Afro-American blues and Mediterranean vocal traditions. She performs in various musical genres, from rock to blues to folk music, participating in international festivals. Her travels to Burundi, Cuba, and Greece influence her compositions. A finalist for the 2020 Parodi Prize, she collaborates with theatre companies and, in 2021, co-produced All'ombra dell'ulivo. She also leads popular singing and vocal seminars. Her artistic research is enriched by her studies with Françoise Atlan, Evgenia Toli, and Njamy Sitson.

Renata Frana is a musician and visual artist with a background spanning Indian music, jazz, and classical music. She studied with Guido Schiraldi and Daud Khan Sadozai and has performed in numerous international concerts. Holding a degree in physics, she participated in the Labyrinth seminars founded by Ross Daly. Since 2015, she has been performing in Italy and abroad, and in 2024, she co-founded the Komās association with Ed Feldman, dedicated to researching South Asian music. She continues her musical training in Calcutta with teacher Mita Nag, following the Vishnupur Gharana tradition.

Voice, percussion, synthesiser: Elena D'Ascenzo | Dilruba, synthesiser, percussion, voice: Renata Frana

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AURA

A journey into the aura of key practices and figures of spirituality and performance art between body, gesture and vision.

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