GAETANO PALERMO
Swan is a performance freely inspired by The Dying Swan by Michel Fokine, which transcends the disciplinary boundaries of dance and theater by incorporating sport and performativity, exploring them on both a formal and conceptual level.
In Swan, reality and fiction blur, causing a disturbing displacement of everyday life within the urban environment. Spectators—both willing audiences and casual passersby—are invited to stumble upon the vision of a falling humanity, challenging their role as observers and agents of reality.
The street thus becomes the stage for an impersonal drama, a crisis both solitary and universal.
By: Gaetano Palermo
With: Rita Di Leo
Sound Design: Luca Gallio
Artistic Consultancy: Michele Petrosino
Costumes: Gaetano Palermo
Prosthetics: Crea Fx
Production: La Biennale di Venezia
Administration: KLm – Kinkaleri, Le Supplici, mk
Supported by: Casa della Cultura Italo Calvino; h(abita)t – Network of Dance Spaces; Associazione QB Quanto Basta
Premiere: La Biennale di Venezia / 51st International Theatre Festival
Awards and Recognitions: Biennale College Teatro – Site-specific Performance (2023); Danza Urbana XL (2024); Vetrina della Giovane Danza D’autore (2024)
Gaetano Palermo (born 1998 in Catania) is an artist and choreographer based in Bologna. His research investigates the ontology of performance at the boundary between reality and fiction, through the lens of movement and stillness. He studied philosophy in Bologna and performing arts at the Iuav University of Venice.
As a performer, he has worked with international artists such as Bruce Nauman and Romeo Castellucci. Since 2023, he has collaborated with artist Michele Petrosino.
His work has been supported and presented by institutions including La Biennale di Venezia, Triennale Milano, MAMbo Bologna, Teatro Regio di Parma, Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio-Emilia, Santarcangelo Festival, Gender Bender Festival, Kilowatt Festival, Danza Urbana, and Ammutinamenti Festival.
Gaetano Palermo (born 1998 in Catania) is an artist and choreographer based in Bologna. His research investigates the ontology of performance at the boundary between reality and fiction, through the lens of movement and stillness. He studied philosophy in Bologna and performing arts at the Iuav University of Venice.
As a performer, he has worked with international artists such as Bruce Nauman and Romeo Castellucci. Since 2023, he has collaborated with artist Michele Petrosino.
His work has been supported and presented by institutions including La Biennale di Venezia, Triennale Milano, MAMbo Bologna, Teatro Regio di Parma, Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio-Emilia, Santarcangelo Festival, Gender Bender Festival, Kilowatt Festival, Danza Urbana, and Ammutinamenti Festival.