La performance dell’artista Marinella Senatore all’Aquila: una processione festosa ha danzato in città. Le foto
On Sunday, June 7, artist Marinella Senatore activated the city of L'Aquila with a festive procession as part of her ongoing performance project SOND School Of Narrative Dance. The event, curated by Chiara Bertini and produced by MAXXI L'Aquila in collaboration with the city, was a highlight of L'Aquila's program as Italian Capital of Culture 2026. Over 500 participants—including community associations, sign language interpreters, performers, sports groups, embroiderers, choirs, parkour practitioners, majorettes, opera singers, and students from local conservatories and art academies—marched through six stops across the historic center, from Fontana Luminosa to Basilica di Collemaggio, drawing an audience of about 10,000 people. A related exhibition of Senatore's drawings, watercolors, photographs, videos, and archival materials, along with a new tapestry donated to the city, will be on view at MAXXI L'Aquila through September 13, 2026.
This event matters because it exemplifies how contemporary art can serve as a tool for civic participation, collective empowerment, and social inclusion, transforming an entire city into an open-air stage. Senatore's SOND project, which has been staged in over 20 countries since 2012, uses dance and procession to break down barriers between art and everyday life, engaging diverse community groups in a shared creative experience. For L'Aquila—a city still rebuilding after the 2009 earthquake—this performance underscores the role of culture in urban regeneration and community cohesion, positioning the city as a vibrant cultural capital.