The Tarantismo Project
a poetry led mixed media installation piece

The Tarantismo was a ritualistic dance from south Italy danced by the rural women to rid the effect of a mythical spider bite; also called 'morso d'amore', bite of love.

The work uses the Tarantismo as a springboard but contemporises, agitates and explores its political and social aspects; our social spiderbite, our collective and personal 'morso d'amore'. It creates an arena of discomfort as well as beauty, questions the theme of madness and accepted ideas of gender role, desire, love and loss.

The installation is presented as in a rudimentary living room with with letters, poems, and other poetry and prose in drawers and cupboards for the viewer to open and read, photographic images are displayed and personal CD walkmans are also around the space with various audio tracks, samples and interviews being played, whilst a looped audio piece and film and played. This work includes contributions of text, interviews and images from a wide international community.

'Powerful, uncompromising. Tough, lyrical beauty. Packs poetic punches with aching sensitivity. A unique new voice. If you need a comparison, think; a young Joolz Denby,
laced with Patti Smith overtones.' (Apples&Snakes)

Details of this project and other work: www.lindacleary.co.uk

Supported by
Arts Council England




Credits
Photographs -- Linda Cleary (except 'Bite' photographs by Dan Price)

Original artwork - Kiran Chugani, Cathrine Bergsrud, Kate Walters, Brynn Leggett

Films:
1 Chiara D'Anna




2 excerpts from Pizzicata by Edoardo Winspeare, distributed by Anima Mundi, Italy




3 'Grieving' by Lisa Herrick

Thanks to Edoardo Winspeare for allowing excerpts from his feature film Pizzicata and to Guiseppe Conoci & Roberto Ruggeri from the distribution company Anima Mundi www.suonidalmondo.com for all their help and support.

Audio samples created by Linda Cleary and also gathered from a wide range of the international community (less info)