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“When women gather before a fire, strengths are born, magic grows”. Remembering the inspiriting words from the Uruguayan poet Simone Seija, the multimedia artist Nina Dotti moved the purifying fire of her participative performance “Despójate” to the Campalto of Venice to close with honors her presence at the 2017 Biannual. “Despójate”, in English “Take the load off”, “is a transmutation ritual”, that invites the spectator to shake away all fears, to be later burned by Nina Dotti’s purifying fire.

During 6 months Palazzo Bembo’s visitors, where the “Despójate” installation was located, wrote their fears on a piece of paper which was later deposited in a big cauldron. And, remembering her experience two years ago with more than 100 victims of abuse in Santa Cruz de Bolivia, the Venezuelan artist visited the suggestive island of Campalto to make a big bone-fire with the accumulated fears. “The fire transformed said fears into valor, optimism, and love”, in a sort of “collective freedom act”, she explained.

For Nina Dotti, fire is “energy in action”, for “the fire element provides me with strength, courage, and passion for life. On a symbolic level, the fire represents change, purification, and sacrifice, it is also a magical element with a tremendous power to transmute fear. When working with fire we feel vigorous, enthusiastic, optimistic and creative. It connects us with a joy to live and with internal strength. With the help of the fire element, magical rituals with physical strength, protection, energy, freedom, and sensuality are possible”