Happening Under Vesuvio

A contemporary art happening in the shadow of Vesuvius

Happening Under Vesuvio takes place every June in Domicella, a town of just over two thousand residents nestled in the Vallo di Lauro valley, in the province of Avellino, Campania. The name evokes the transformative power of Mount Vesuvius, which dominates the horizon to the west: the event is born from the idea that the Vesuvian land is a place of constant implosion and explosion, and that art can capture its rhythm. This is not a festival with a fixed program, but an happening in the historical sense of the term—a collective artistic action that takes shape the very moment it occurs.

A vision by Alessia Siniscalchi and the Kulturscio'k collective

The artistic direction is led by Alessia Siniscalchi, who conceived the event alongside the Italo-French collective Kulturscio'k, active in France and Southern Italy in the field of live art. The stated goal is to create a space where artists of diverse backgrounds can meet without hierarchies, generating a living work that evolves until the final moment. Each edition is dedicated to the memory of Vincenzo Maria Siniscalchi and revolves around recurring themes: identity, roots, borders, freedom of thought and expression, ritual, and rebirth.

KulturFactory, the creative factory of Domicella

The sole venue for the happening is KulturFactory, located at Via Raffaele Ferrante 4: a former industrial space converted by the collective into a permanent artist residency. Here, artists can stay for several days to work, produce their pieces on-site, and present them to the public during the event. The venue combines indoor environments, courtyards, and green areas, allowing for a variety of activities including video screenings, performances, concerts, and land art installations on the same evening.

What to expect during the two days

The program changes annually alongside the invited artists, but the structure remains recognizable. The two evenings typically begin in the late afternoon and continue until nightfall, with the public free to move through the spaces and engage with the works. The event features:

• performances and ritual actions, often participatory, where spectators become part of the work;
• installations and exhibitions set up in both indoor and outdoor spaces;
• video art and screenings with live technological interventions;
• live music, ranging from experimental electronics to sound research;
• photography, with a particular focus on the urban perspective of Naples and the Vesuvian area;
• workshops and residencies open to those who wish to work alongside the artists.

An international artistic community

The international character is the hallmark of the event: recent editions have brought together artists from France, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, the United States, and Italy. The happening is supported by the Institut Français and holds the patronage of the Museo Madre in Naples, certifying its place within the contemporary art circuit, while maintaining a deliberately small and artisanal scale. A permanent open call allows performance artists to apply for future editions with actions related to the theme of ritual.

Domicella and the Vallo di Lauro

Domicella is one of the westernmost municipalities in the province of Avellino, near the border with the Naples area. The Vallo di Lauro is an agricultural basin known for its hazelnut groves and small villages at the foot of the Partenio mountains, in an area that remains off the beaten path despite being less than an hour from Naples. This secluded position, between the Vesuvian plain and inland Irpinia, gives the happening its unique character: an international event hosted in a rural setting, where the landscape itself becomes part of the artwork.

How to participate

Admission to the happening is free, with booking recommended due to the limited capacity of the spaces. Visitors arriving from afar can request shuttle or taxi services organized by the collective, and nearby accommodation and camping options are available. For information, bookings, and residency applications, please contact Kulturscio'k via their official website.