The word “contamination” forced its way into my vocabulary during my years attending Paolo Grassi. As students, we had to be able to modify the theatrical language we were taught to continually readapt it to fit the current theatrical situation we were facing.
The constant exchanges with student playwrights and directors or dance theater students trained us to “steal” and adapt our language to better collaborate in the different arts.
Now contamination is a fundamental part of my work and I try to do a project at least once a year in which I make my material creativity available to the theater or dance world. It is above all dance and dance theater that use my site specific creations.
My engagement on projects with young dancers is a lifeblood for my work as a sculptor. The innovative and experimental project ideas that dancers propose to me become part of my lifelong training and often change, modify or evolve my sculpting.
2022 – Performance “In a Perfect World” with the dancer and choreographer Francesca Lettieri, together with the actor and singer Camilla Violante Scheller, who gave both movement and voice to Davide Dall’Osso’s installation under the direction of Fabrizio Visconti.
2020 – Performance “I AM-site specific” by Michela Paoloni
In this version, staged outdoors, the figure of Ariadne is central. While waiting to enter the labyrinth, she is overtaken by feelings of love and fear. Her body is protected by the sculpture’s embrace, like a kind of armor with which to confront the Minotaur. The dance dialogues with the elements of the surrounding landscape in a continuous evolution of forms and dynamics that punctuate the narrative rhythms.
2019 – Performance “I Am” by Michela Paoloni – Hangart Fest – Pesaro
Icarus-Ariadne-Minotaur
“I Am” is a choreographic project designed around the mythical figures of Ariadne and the Minotaur. It was conceived and realized as both a site-specific performance event and video-dance, as well as a theatrical performance accompanied by live drum and wave drum music. Through dance, the body becomes an enamored gesture or an animal form, it becomes lost and then finds itself again every time in the constant dialogue that the sculptures create with the flesh, creating new textures of solids and voids.
2016 – “Saint Paul se Danse” Dance and Contemporary Art Festival Group exhibition + performance by the Italian dancer Davide Francesca wearing a sculpture costume by Davide Dall’Osso. Saint Paul de Vence, France.
2011 – Performance “The Myth of the Money God” – Archivolto Theater, Genoa
“The Myth of the Money God” – Genoa and Berlin tour. Davide Dall’Osso created the masks for the show in collaboration with directors Davide Francesca and Francesca Pedullà. The creations represented the evolution of the figure of divinity that, transcending into a human body, is corrupted by the demon of money.
2011 – Exhibition “The Shell and the Soul” – Brera Art&design, Milan
The exhibition was a three-way collaboration between Dall’Osso, photographer Carlo Mari and playwright Giulia Valsecchi.
2011 “Headwind” – 54th Venice Biennale ITALIAN PAVILION (secondary location: Turin) Group show curated by Vittorio Sgarbi.
2008 – “In Between” Installation + performance– Contemporary Roles – Genoa. The artist created a polycarbonate cast sculpture costume for the performer Davide Francesca who walked through the streets of Genoa and then arrived to the Loggia dei Mercanti in Piazza Banchi to finish his performance.
Exhibition curated by Bruna Solinas Artrè Gallery, Genoa.
2008 – “Donrémy, the courage of Giovanna” –Cantrix Company.
Dance-theater show performed by the Cantrix Company for which shields and sculptural pieces were made. Several sculptures from “The Crowd” were used on stage.
2005 – “At the Edge of the Woods” performance and installation created in collaboration with Luciana Melis for the final recital for third year dance-theater students. Paolo Grassi Dramatic Arts School, Milan.
2005 – Performance “Millimeters” – Dance Biennale- Venice, with choreography by Sergio Antonino. The artist created transparent sculpture costumes which had microphones placed under the skirts to pick up the rustling sounds created by the polycarbonate that became the soundtrack of the show.
