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In Santiago de Chile, in conjunction with the Festival Santiago Off, the first Latin American residency of the 2023-24 edition of R-Evolution Project.

After months of research and discussion, the artists are finally ready to travel to their partners’ venues, to meet again, discover new cultures and further develop their projects.

The first group to embark on this new stage were Dario Rea (Italy) and Maher Msaddek (Tunisia), who followed the residency remotely. Hosted by the Fundación Santiago Off and with the support of tutor Franco Solari, from January 19th to 28th, the two artists had at their disposal the spaces of the Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho  to develop a study to be presented at the end of the residency. Dario Rea, who took on the burden of conducting this experience without his companion, had the opportunity to come into contact with the local culture and history, strolling through the museums of Santiago and the evocative landscapes of Valparaíso, as well as discovering new performing modalities by attending some of the shows scheduled during the festival. These suggestions then culminated in a process of conception and writing that was constantly shared, albeit at a distance, with Maher, who in turn contributed through the production of video material to be included in the performance.

The result was Hide and Seek, a reflection on the processing of grief and mourning as dealt with by the families of the so-called Desaparecidos – victims of kidnapping during the last military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina – accompanied by the voices of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an organization that has been demanding their return for years.

The work will continue to take shape in the coming months in a new residency in Naples, made possible by the Culture Moves Europe call.