Last January 23 and 24, in Bologna, the gruppo nanou presented two solos: “Sport” and “Camera 2046.” Two performances that tell about the body, its gestures and its relationship with space, between muscular tension and poetic lightness.

Spreading chalk between the fingers of the hands, rubbing the palms and finally directing the gaze toward the direction in which the jump will take place, these are some of the actions that precede Rhuena Bracci's jumps. The performer traverses the space several times, thanks to rhythmic sequences of artistic gymnastics.

SPORT shows the body, the power of tensed muscles suspended in the air, not poised, but ready, alert. In the space are some objects through which the body reveals its identity as an athlete: a pair of shoes, a sweatshirt, some chalk, an iron structure.

That the athlete is caught in the intimacy that precedes the execution of the gymnastic element is evident in theanticipation of the vibrant poses that lead to movement, vertigo, and flight. An intense gaze toward the audience, some more plaster in the hands and on the iron, and the athlete can nimbly experiment with new balances within the solid voids of the structure.

That the athlete is caught in the solitude that precedes execution is evident in the sublimation of vibrant poses, in the balancing act between upside-down suspension and the force of propulsive thrust for new acrobatics.

SPORT might suggest connections with sculptural art; on the contrary, in Room 2046 the relationship with cinematic art is explicit. The evocative action space echoes the atmosphere of Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love.

The object of the evening's second solo appears from the outset to have less mass than the first structure: a very light golden fabric from the ceiling reaches the floor and demarcates the action space like a curved horizon.

Marina Bertoni, in a billowing silver jacket, slowly juggles on this side of the drape, in the intimacy of the room. The twists and the absence of stasis make her figure dynamic and ever-changing.

In the sophisticated alteration of balancing on a limb and twisting, the protagonists are the back and the hands.Now fingers, now hair hide the face, and finally the golden fabric replaces the jacket.

The anthropomorphic nude is charged with the mass of fabric, tangled on her back like a messy boulder that deforms the boundaries demarcated by the epidermis. Having dismantled the figure and moved the veil, the female body can play with the lights and shadows cast on the wall of what may no longer be Room 2046, but is still a familiar environment.

If in SPORT the structure, though heavy, allows body parts to ascend and suspend, in Room 2046 the vaporous drapery envelops and becomes body, then takes on its golden color.