«Yes, it’s true. We’re having a really tough time, but we mustn’t let it get us down. Cinema, concerts, theatre, exhibitions: both attenders and performers are missing them. We’ll be back at them soon, but until then we must keep our morale up as much as we can, because we know art has many faces, many shapes and even many moves. And most importantly: it can be done everywhere, even in the most unimaginable places. Come on, let’s try!»
The Square. Spazio alla cultura is the new show by Sky Arte, led by Nicolas Ballario. It is a place under construction, which contents come from the now sadly empty stages from the world of art and culture. The guests are artists, musicians, directors, actors, and dancers who find in The Square a place to give voice to their projects and to reach the audience they need – and who needs them.
Nicolas welcomes the guests into his studio – an open space that has every appearance of a construction site – where he places a writing table, a couch and a few armchairs to make them feel at ease as much as he can and to be able to follow, through videocalls, their accomplishments. Yet the dominant tone in the show is that of irony, because – especially in hard times – there’s nothing better than a smile to get through it.
Every episode starts with a “launch” with which Nicolas updates us on an event which has been canceled or has changed its format, perhaps moving to the Web. It follows the first online conversation with a leading figure from the world of culture. After that it comes the time for the guest’s performance, who right after is interviewed in person – always keeping a safe distance!
Soon after, Nicolas plays a video in animation that takes its cue from a topical issue, and then he calls another guest for the second online conversation. Eventually it’s time to say goodbye, but not before a quick overview on the events of the week.