(RE)claimingthevoid
Performative acts in
public spaces
The Full Story
behind the project
A house like Camere d'Aria plays a crucial role in contemporary urban dynamics. It functions as a ‘pause landscape,’ where the hectic pace of society comes to a halt for a while and where space for reflection and imagination is possible. In this testbed for change, alternative interpretations and visions of the future can unfold undisturbed.
Camere d'aria provides an informal platform for trial and error, creativity and collaboration, where social structures can be reshaped and boundaries are pushed back. What is tested and developed here can possibly later grow into permanent solutions or inspirations for broader social transformations.Choir Baba Jaga, which will give one of the ateliers, is a case in point. The transfeminist group, which emerged in 2020 during covid as an answer to connect through singing, exposes this physical need for gathering together. They started expressing their voice in Camere d’aria and slowly slowly got more confident to go singing in the public space. By this action, they reclaim the public space for dissident bodies.
At the same time, squares, benches and parks are embodiments of human diversity. These lived spaces host countless everyday situations, in which meeting, dialogue and living together are central. They are a mirror of society, overloaded with meaning, quality and identity. Here, the representation of different cultures, backgrounds and lifestyles becomes visible. However, where Bologna was once known as a hub for artistic expression and experimentation in open spaces, in reality nowadays it is under pressure.
Therefore this need, with (RE)claimingthevoid, to effectively make these places in Bologna an experimental playing field again. We’ll install unexpected performative actions in public space. These actions show that cities are built not only on stone and concrete, but also on dreams, ideas and the indispensable diversity of the people who make the city a city.
In (RE)claiming the void, theatrical, dance and musical elements are used to make the emptiness of politics visible, and to fill this space with what it should really be about.
The team
(RE)claimingthevoid
Astrid Delombaerde
coordinator
is a performer, dance teacher and choreographer.
After touring with the dance company DNA she started creating her own work such as temporary tender, wilderness without a name en Rain, no sand.
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Both as teacher and choreographer, she feeds her artistic research every day. A workshop is a moment in which people experiment together. That desire to share with other people, led her to cocreate DEVLOER, an interdisciplinary movement platform.
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A creative jack-of-all-trades, she alternates the stage with management. In '23 she worked as a production assistant for KAAP during DANSAND and December Dance. In '24 she worked for Dag van de Dans, Out of The Toolbox and Santarcangelo Festival.
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Dave Boussé
Financial Manager
is a performer, creative writer and occasional dancer, based in Brussels.
He combines developing his own artistic skills in various disciplines with his work as a psychologist. He created and performed in various plays, such as plays Apéroclyps and Kleurenvanger, and delved into photography with Into the Trees and Momentum.
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His current interests lie in the direction of performance art and multimedia. He is currently creating Approaching the Unknown, trying to combine his interest in the subject of physics with his artistic direction.
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In (RE)claimingthevoid, Dave mainly focuses on the financial side of things, making sure our enthusiasm doesn’t lead us to biting off more than we can chew.
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Katrien Debois
Production & communication Manager Belgian side
is a cultural worker with an interest in dance, circus, theatre, literature and film.
As coordinator for Dag van de Dans, she focuses on the visibility and promotion of the dance field within Flanders and Brussels. She also works freelance for the multidisciplinary Dans Kapot. From her work’s philosophy to make culture and art more accessible, she gives introductions for dance & circus performances and directs interactive plays for children via Theater Bank Vooruit.
In her free time, Katrien spends many hours dancing, singing, playing theatre, practicing yoga, reading & travelling. She is intrigued by languages and cultural identities.
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Alessandra Sgobio
Artistic manager Italian side
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is a theatre director, performer and theatre lighting designer.
She was born and raised in northern Italy, where she became involved in the theatre scene of her hometown from an early age. Her most formative experience during that period was leading her high school's youth theatre group and directing the end-of-year plays. This experience made her aware of her passion for performance, as well as for leading projects and maintaining a creative vision despite challenges and changes.
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Since then, she has graduated in Theatre Studies from the University of Malta and has participated in many small theatre productions as both a performer and a director. Since October 2023, Alessandra has been living in Bologna, where she works with Associazione Oltre...APS as a theatre lighting designer and project organiser.
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Bianca Kaplan
Production manager Italian side
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is an illustrator and workshop conductor.
Bianca, originally from London, UK, relocated to Cornwall to study illustration. Two years ago, after completing her degree , she moved to Bologna. With a specialisation in printmaking, she has since utilised her expertise by conducting workshops at a homeless shelter, at Camere d’Aria, and through a variety of art commissions.
Passionate about cultural initiatives, she recently led a group of young people from Bologna to Ireland for a language and cultural exchange.
Her involvement with Camere d’Aria has been both dynamic and multifaceted, providing her with a deep understanding of the organization's internal operations and external collaborations.
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Camere d'Aria
hosting venue
Our partner and headquarter in Bologna is Camere d'Aria. It is a multifunctional space in which expressive forms, artistic practices and many ideas – sometimes intuitive, sometimes the result of rational reflection – pass through, defining its architecture.
Camere d’Aria supports and promotes participation and artistic expressiveness from below, avoiding unnecessary hierarchies and overly rigid organisational models.
Within Camere d’Aria, identity boundaries fade, in many cases dissolving, to leave room for exchange, cross contamination and the free circulation of knowledge and practices that do not bear the seal of private ownership.
The building itself is owned by the City of Bologna and has been rented since 2014 by the cultural association Oltre…. Starting with thorough renovations, Camere d’Aria came into being. Oltre… has been active in the field of urban stimulation – artistic, playful and sociable – for more than 20 years (on a non-profit basis), directly involving citizens in the creative process, thus turning them into protagonists. Oltre…is part of the Trans Europe Halles network (), a European network of cultural centres promoting artists and citizens.
Funding partners
