An Artistic Experiment Crossing the Boundaries Between Dream and Reality

From November 6 to 29, 'Onironautica 3' is being held at the Fondazione Luciana Matalon in Milan, Italy. The final chapter of a trilogy that began in 2019 and continued in 2023, this exhibition—conceived by photographer Nello Taietti—explores the world of dreams and the unconscious by fusing photography, theater, and sculptural art.

The exhibition title 'Onironautica' is a term coined by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden, meaning 'dream navigation' in Greek. It explores the concept of lucid dreaming, a state in which one is aware of dreaming while in the dream.

85 Photographs and an Immersive Theater Performance

Curated by Vera Agosti, this exhibition is supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Milan. The exhibition space features 85 photographic works: 65 portraits of dancers and artists captured by Nello Taietti, and 20 backstage photographs taken by his son, Gianmarco Taietti.

On Saturday, November 22, a theater performance of the same name will be staged twice, at 4 PM and 6 PM. The performance takes place in an immersive space surrounded by works by Japanese calligrapher and installation artist Sisyu. Sisyu is renowned for her contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, depicting figures with intricate black outlines and using shadows to create effects reminiscent of modern theater.

Time Frozen Through Photography

For Nello Taietti, photography is not merely an art form. It is a gateway to the unconscious, a means of inscribing dreams that do not fade even after waking into matter, light, and time.

Curator Vera Agosti explains: "Taietti's photographs are clean, essential, and intense. He captures subjects in close-ups and extreme close-ups, conveying movement, expressiveness, and sometimes dramatic emotion." The dancers stand out sharply against neutral, monochromatic backgrounds, with the play of shadows emphasizing their movements.

Taietti's photographic work is an act of stopping time within the ceaselessly flowing reality. Each shutter click fixes, focuses, and crystallizes a moment. These arrested moments become personal constellations, narrating life not through chronology but through poetic intuition.

A World Viewed from Between Life and Death

Taietti walks the fragile, vertiginous ridge between life and death. From this liminal position, he observes the universe with open eyes and an expanded mind. All his expressive choices are attempts to answer—or more precisely, to listen to—the fundamental mysteries of existence.

This exhibition reveals the protagonist's dreamworld through simple yet powerful means of expression. Dreams become a mythical language, and photography, dance, and theater transcend mere art forms to become genuine pathways for exploring the unconscious.

The Fruit of Multidisciplinary Collaboration

The exhibition features the participation of several artists including Sisyu, Daniele Crasti, Natsu Funabashi, Luan Machado, and Guido Daniele. The works of these artists, each active in their own domains, converge within a single dreamspace to invite the audience on an inward journey.

The Eastern tradition of lucid dreaming traces back to Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Egyptian, and Sumerian cultures, and Carl Gustav Jung's theories also contributed to the development of this field of study. 'Onironautica 3' serves as a bridge connecting this ancient wisdom with contemporary art.

The exhibition continues through November 29, where visitors can experience their own dream voyage in a space where photography and installation art interweave.