Chiara Borgonovo

Published in June, 2024

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The Poietic Value of the Body in Studio Azzurro’s Video Theatre

The paper explores the poietic value of the body in the work of Studio
Azzurro, a Milanese artist collective emerged in Italy in the early 1980s. It investigates the convergence of technology, the human body, and theatrical expression, focusing on the use of video as an integrated dramaturgical element, from
early video-environments to the collaboration with actor and director Giorgio
Barberio Corsetti. Through a detailed analysis of Prologo a diario segreto contraffatto (1985) the paper discusses the transformation of video into a dynamic
space that intersects and overlaps with the physical realm. This interplay of
bodily and electronic images exemplifies the dissolution of boundaries between
viewer and technological medium, reality, and the space of thought. Drawing
upon Heidegger’s notion of technology as a mode of revealing, the paper underscores Studio Azzurro’s pioneering role in the invention of video theatre, where
the body acts as a catalyst, uncovering the poetic essence of technology.

performance; video art; media art; materiality; real-virtual continuum.