Andrea Salustri is set to debut on June 11 at the Festival Station of Expo 2025 Osaka with a visual art performance focusing on images rather than words to explain the relationship between a man and a material surrounding him.
    The show, called 'Materia' (Material), in particular focuses on polystyrene, making it come alive on stage and turning it into the performance's protagonist.
    The performer takes on the role of enabler with the focus of the show constantly shifting from the object, to the manipulator and manipulation.
    Polystyrene is a "very problematic material", explained Salustri, which "we are currently using and abusing and which represents a serious danger to our environment".
    And the performance's challenge is to search for a "coexistence with this material instead of its demonization" by "listening to it and seeing what it is able to do", said the Rome-born artist who is based in Berlin.
    In the Italian capital, Salustri learned juggling, fire manipulation and worked as a street artist.
    He graduated in 2013 in philosophy at La Sapienza University in Rome.
    The artist then decided to move to Germany where he studied contemporary dance, completing the Intensive Dance program of Tanzfabrik Berlin and studying dance and choreography at Hzt Berlin University.
    The objective of the performance, added Salustri, is to "try to provide attention and care to something we usually throw away extremely easily, which we immediately get rid of".
    'Materia' is debuting for the first time in Japan.
    However, "it is not the first time we are taking it to Asia", said the Roman artist, explaining that it has already debuted "in Singapore, China and Taiwan".
    The performance "has been touring for several years, it has already seen over 23 countries and has a history of great successes - it is a pleasure and an honour to bring it here and to have the possibility of representing the Italy Pavilion", concluded Salustri.

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