Melania Delli Compagni

I attended both the Vulnus Open Research event and the premiere of Vulnus – A Naked Story, and they completely changed my perception of performing arts.

It was actually my first time entering a contemporary performance space, and considering the theme of sexuality, I thought I might feel uncomfortable or that it simply wasn’t for me. Instead, both events created such a welcoming and safe atmosphere that I felt involved from the very beginning. What I appreciated most was that participation was never forced—you could engage as much or as little as you wanted—yet there was no way not to feel connected to what was happening.

The open research event and the exhibition-like corner during the premiere helped me understand the creative process behind the work and how a topic as complex as sexuality can be transformed into a performance. The Q&A sessions with the artists were also incredibly valuable, answering many of the questions I had about what I had experienced, even the ones I didn’t ask aloud.

What impressed me the most was the diversity of people in the audience. For the first time, I truly felt that art can bring together people of different ages and backgrounds to reflect on topics we rarely share openly, and sometimes communicate more deeply than words ever could.

A beautiful, thoughtful, and accessible artistic experience.

The performances were so well put together and performed that through dance I could follow the journey and feel what the performer was feeling. I had to held myself as tears ran down my face in the first act. As a couple of people that arent used to attending contemporary art, we left profoundly impressed.

The workshop Melania gave was both creative, inspiring and unique. I love the movement exercises and the safe space she created in which we could explore more the debt of our bodies.