Perfomedia — International Performance Art Festival

An international performance art festival in Ortigia

Perfomedia is an international festival dedicated to performance art that has made its home on the island of Ortigia, the historic heart of Syracuse in south-eastern Sicily. Following European editions in Venice and Warsaw, the festival arrived in the city of Syracuse, transforming some of its most history-rich spaces into venues for contemporary artistic experimentation.

The legacy of Emilio Morandi

The festival was born as a vibrant tribute to Emilio Morandi, a visionary artist and independent curator considered one of the fathers of Italian performance art. Through his historic Artestudio, active since the 1980s, Morandi promoted the exploration of the body as an expressive tool. Perfomedia carries on his theoretical and poetic legacy, focusing on the idea that gesture, action, and physical presence can become a language capable of conveying political, aesthetic, and social tensions.

The venues: between the gallery and the belvedere

Performances take place in two symbolic locations in Ortigia. The first is the Galleria Montevergini Arte Contemporanea on Via Serafino Privitera, an exhibition space dedicated to contemporary art that serves as the event's organizational hub. The second is the Belvedere alla Turba at the Bastione Cannamela, a terrace overlooking the sea that provides a stunning landscape backdrop for the performances.

Artists and languages

Each edition brings together a group of international artists from various European countries, as well as Italy. Their work spans body, gesture, objects, and spatial relationships, using a plurality of languages that make performance a radical and constantly evolving practice. Curated by artist and researcher Marilena Vita, the festival explores the body as a "language in the making."

A free event open to all

Perfomedia is a free-admission festival designed to introduce the general public to an artistic language often considered niche. The two-day program is spread across morning, afternoon, and evening slots, allowing spectators to witness live actions in an atmosphere of participation and dialogue. The festival is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Syracuse and the Sicily Region.

Performance art and local identity

Bringing performance art to Syracuse means weaving contemporary art into one of the most layered urban contexts in the Mediterranean: Ortigia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The dialogue between the artist's ephemeral action and the city's ancient stone creates a poetic short-circuit that is the hallmark of Perfomedia.