A Ravenna aprono gli Archivi Sonori: a disposizione il meglio delle arti performative nazionali e internazionali
The city of Ravenna has officially inaugurated the Archivi Sonori (Sound Archives) at Palazzo Malagola, a new international center dedicated to vocal and sonic research. Founded by actress Ermanna Montanari and scholar Enrico Pitozzi, the archives offer public access to a vast collection of audio and video materials documenting the experimental work of 33 influential Italian and international performers, including Demetrio Stratos, Joan La Barbara, and Alvin Curran. The facility features specialized listening and viewing rooms, including an immersive sonic chamber and a cinema hall, all navigated via touchscreens featuring anatomical heart motifs designed by artist Stefano Ricci.
This initiative is significant because it provides a permanent home and preservation strategy for performance art, a medium that is inherently ephemeral and difficult to archive. By centralizing the legacies of avant-garde musicians, actors, and vocalists, Malagola establishes itself as a critical hub for contemporary performance studies. The project bridges the gap between historical memory and modern experimentation, ensuring that the radical vocal techniques and sonic innovations of the 20th and 21st centuries remain accessible to researchers and the general public alike.