top of page

 Open space 

The riddle of life waiting to be solved | The Parthenon Frieze by Romeo Castellucci


There are times when art sprouts from the roots of coincidence. "The 'Parthenon frieze' reflects man's struggle for life", Romeo Castellucci says. Six accidents in a city, causes unknown. Six victims at the borderline between life and death. Whether they cross it or not depends on "fate". Six riddles waiting to be solved.

The performance opened in Paris on November 23, 2015. At Villette, the boundary between stage and stalls is non-existent. Real medical teams and rescue crews operate in the theatrical space. The spectators, standing, are within the field of action, and will come face to face with images they experienced in real life or through their TV monitors on Friday 13 November 2015 in Paris. The western culture of political correctness demanded of the Festival d'Automne to warn the public that the performance may "remind them of familiar misfortunes". Indeed, Romeo Castellucci very recently admitted that the performance is a mirror of what has just happened, and apologized for the irreparable that art unconsciously creates. He concluded by saying that the most human reaction would be to remain here, present, in the face of so many human absences.

While I am having these thoughts, Euronews' caption from its speakerless in situ reports keeps flashing in my mind... "no comment".

Elpida Komianou

Recent Posts
bottom of page