Big Reality Lab and Sacred Movements are, respectively, a residential workshop in a rural area and a site-specific residency conceived by the Danish company Art of Listening—represented by Sara Topsøe-Jensen and Sarah John—in collaboration with the artist Guido Anderloni. The project is structured as a research framework that intertwines ecological practices, community dimensions, and ritual processes, involving 15 young artists under 35 from diverse European backgrounds. At the heart of the research lies an exploration of encounter and contemporary forms of the sacred: what practices allow us to recognize it outside of institutional religious systems? Through a phenomenological approach, the group develops performative and participatory practices that make the sacred a shared and experiential dimension. The first phase takes place in the Alto Vergante area (Invorio), where the group initiates a process of exploring the territory, weaving together practices ranging from performance to meditation to the transmission of knowledge related to the use of plants and vegetables, guided by the expertise of Guido Anderloni. The second phase, in Verbania, takes place within the spaces of Villa Simonetta, where the experience is reworked into installation and performance formats open to the public. The spaces are configured as areas for listening and contemplation, inviting a perceptive and conscious relationship with oneself and with the surrounding context.
Ph. Art of Listening, Bo Amstrup
Art of Listening is a Danish organization founded by Sara Topsøe-Jensen and Sarah John, which has been active for over twenty years in the field of immersive performing arts, initially under the name Carte Blanche. The group develops aesthetic tools that invite people to broaden their perception of reality and to experience deeper and more meaningful connections. Art of Listening’s work prioritizes collaborative and interdisciplinary artistic approaches, involving people and institutions from diverse fields. Over the years, it has initiated collaborations with architects, philosophers, cultural practitioners, priests, urban planners, communities, schools, libraries, and museums, experimenting with new approaches to explore the meaning of the world and the relationships between people.
Guido Anderloni is a visual artist trained at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Following international experiences, he has developed an interdisciplinary practice that intertwines art, craftsmanship, and a relationship with the natural environment. Since 2005, he has lived in Invorio, where he pursues research that integrates artistic production, botany, and traditional knowledge, taking shape as a system of practices that bridges nature, sensory experimentation, and daily life.
A journey into the aura of key practices and figures of spirituality and performance art between body, gesture and vision.
