To mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Mumbai, in collaboration with G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, presented No Sky Without Light on 14 October at BLACK BOX, G5A Warehouse, Mumbai. The audiovisual performance was created by Italian artist Luca Maria Baldini, with video by Salvatore Insana.
The project explored Franciscan thought from a contemporary perspective, bringing it into dialogue with some of the major questions of our time. Structured in seven chapters, the performance took the audience on a journey of reflection through the concepts of fraternity, ritual, the sacred and belonging. It explored the relationship between human beings and the natural world, the ecological crisis, and the importance of interdependence and care. In light of the ongoing technological and environmental transformations, these themes invite us to reconsider how we inhabit the world and relate to everything around us.
Through the interplay of sound and images, No Sky Without Light created an audiovisual landscape in which different languages and inspirations came together: Gregorian chants, field recordings, live electronics, musical fragments, artificial voices and analogue instruments, in dialogue with archival materials, original footage and digitally processed images.
The title itself emerged from the encounter between Franciscan thought and the possibilities offered by generative artificial intelligence, prompting reflection on the role of spirituality in an age profoundly shaped by technological innovation. One question ran throughout the performance: what place can spirituality still hold in the contemporary world?
With this event, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Mumbai offered audiences the opportunity to experience an artistic exploration that brings cultural heritage into dialogue with contemporary experimentation, opening up new perspectives on the world we live in.
The performance was produced in co-production with Fondazione AAMOD, with the support of Campsirago Residenza.
