Cuneo had been waiting for a Christmas like this for a long time. Full immersion in lights, shows, markets: an explosion of liveliness and joy that has changed the face and atmosphere of the capital since thousands of people followed the tightrope walker that inaugurated on Wednesday “IllumiNatale”, the project of the Municipality which brings back to the city the masters of the contemporary circus called by Mirabilia.
Tonight, at 9 pm, in Piazza Galimberti, the first event: the grandiose suspended acrobatic musical show “Les Maudits Sonnants” by the French company Transe Express, a performance that enchanted the public at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Games, at the inauguration of Matera European Capital of Culture and in Paris. Artistic director of Christmas with Mirabilia, Fabrizio Gavosto.
Cuneo this year has a Christmas look never seen before, thanks to Mirabilia. What happened?
“IllumiNatale represents a new formula born from the relationship of the Festival with the administration, the mayor and the public, but in reality it is the result of a change of climate that started ten years ago and which, in this time, has been marked by stages important including the restructuring of the historic center and some important cultural events. When in 2019 there was talk of bringing the Mirabilia biennial to the city, many expected something extraordinary, then Covid arrived and stopped everything. Now, from the Illuminata’s experience, an innovative, original project is born, born in Cuneo for Cuneo and so engaging that it can be set up in just two months, thanks to everyone’s enthusiasm ».
Among the initiatives is the show on Saturday (tonight ed), the first of a series of performances that continue until Epiphany.
«The company that will be staged in Piazza Galimberti,“ Transe Express ”created this show over twenty years ago: it is one of the most successful. The founders, Gilles Rhode and his partner Brigitte Burdin are among those who invented the contemporary circus with Pierrot Bidon and the Archaos company. Rhode has retired, but will be attending this performance. In the performance, which is complex, there are ground actions and other acrobatics involving 17 artists, in different roles. It is a spectacle that can also be seen from afar because it occupies the whole square and rises in height ».
What is the common thread of Mirabilia’s Christmas proposals in Cuneo?
“A strong bond between France and Italy, which began with the performance of the tightrope walker and cellist Milena Punzi: it represents the line that unites us and that was interrupted by the devastation brought by the storm Alex, but also the strong artistic bond that binds Mirabilia at the French contemporary circus reviews. The thread on which the tightrope walker walked is a symbol: to re-tie the bonds and reconnect the material and immaterial connections. This project also has two elements in common: light and height. They invite you to look towards the sky ». –