Hybrid Dialogues

Pirelli HangarBicocca is hosting “Hybird Dialogues,” a project by the CDWR Cultural Association. Following a series of workshops, the project will present a performance in Visual Vernacular—an artistic form within Deaf culture that blends elements of sign language poetry with theatrical expression and contemporary dance—to the public on Sunday, March 22, at 5.00 PM. The performance, open to the public, is inspired by Anselm Kiefer’s permanent installation The Seven Heavenly Palaces 2004-2015 at Pirelli HangarBicocca.

The performance will be presented by a group of Deaf individuals who, in the preceding days, will have participated in a workshop led by professional Deaf actors and performers. During the two-day workshop, participants will be guided in the creation of the performance and in exploring Kiefer’s work within the spaces of Pirelli HangarBicocca by instructors Nicola Della Maggiora, an activist, Deaf performer, and artist specializing in Visual Vernacular (VV), and Carlo di Biase, an expert in bilingual LIS/Italian arts education and cultural accessibility in museums.

 

 

 

 

The preparatory workshop
Schedule

Friday, 20 March
5.00 PM – 8.00 PM
Introduction to Visual Vernacular

Saturday, 21 March
10.00 AM – 1.00 PM
Guided tour in LIS of the installation The Seven Heavenly Palaces 2004-2015 by Anselm Kiefer

2.00 PM – 5.00 PM
Visual Vernacular workshop

Sunday, 22 March
10.00 AM – 1.00 PM
Visual Vernacular workshop

2.00 PM – 4.30 PM
Rehearsals and video recordings

5.00 PM – 6.00 PM
Visual Vernacular performance

 

 

 

NICOLA DELLA MAGGIORA
Nicola Della Maggiora is an activist, Deaf performer, and artist specialized in Visual Vernacular (VV), a visual expressive form that combines sign language, mime, and cinematic language. He has gained experience as a trainer of VV through workshops and training paths aimed at Deaf people. His work is inspired by the principles of Deafhood, promoting Deaf identity, culture, and perspective through performative art.

CARLO DI BIASE
Carlo di Biase is an art historian and Art and Image teacher. Deaf from birth and among the first in Italy to work as a museum guide in Italian Sign Language (LIS), for more than twenty years he has developed accessibility projects for museums and cultural sites. He promotes artistic events such as Visual Vernacular performances in museum and cultural contexts, fostering dialogue between diverse audiences through the project “Hybrid Dialogues.”

 

The workshop and the performance are part of the project “OLTRE il museo”, carried out with the contribution of Regione Lombardia.