Onirica () is a live media performance that explores the ethereal perception of the body within the realm of dreams. Belonging to the series of works of the same name, the performance offers a novel exploration of that same narrative, this time with a new focus on sleep and dreams in their corporeal component.

Resulting from a collaboration with Italian choreographer Diego Tortelli, the work fuses dance performance and a cinematic experience, generated in real-time on stage through the interaction between performer and artificial intelligence. The narrative structure is composed of fragments of real dreams sourced from the dream banks of the University of Santa Cruz California and the University of Bologna, which in total contain over 28,000 dreams collected from 1930 to the present day. Through these narratives and their translation into synthetic images, recurring themes emerge from the dream experiences of individuals distant in time and space, reminding us of the shared nature of human experience, uniting us even within the oneiric dimension.

Eerie and raw, Onirica () signifies the studio's return to the stage after a seven-year hiatus following the premiere of Dökk in 2017.

The starting point of the performance is the creative exploration of the experience of sleep and dreams in their physical component. In particular, parasomnias and other corporeal phenomena we can experience during sleep inspired the performer's choreography on stage.

At the same time, the shared experience of the body within the oneiric dimension, where time, space and gravity are continuously altered, also had a significant impact in the choreographic choices. This strange and sometimes uncanny perception of our bodies and movements in dreams is another crucial element that shaped the piece's choreography.

In Onirica (), the performer's body fragments into broken, sudden, and spasm-like movements, alternating with slow and lethargic flows, which influence the background visions. A deeply evocative experience where the raw physicality of the performer's movements starkly contrasts with the synthetic landscapes projected.

The result is a cinematic sequence constructed in real-time through the interaction between bodily movements, dream texts, and the soundtrack of the work. This interaction creates an extraordinary, almost post-human bond, establishing an irrevocable connection between human and machine.

Onirica () is an artwork by fuse*

Direction: Mattia Carretti
Executive Production: Mattia Carretti, Luca Camellini
Choreography: Diego Tortelli
Performer: Hélias Salvador Dorvault
Music & Sound Design: Riccardo Bazzoni
Head of Visual Design: Matteo William Salsi
Software Development: Matteo Williamo Salsi, Alessandro Mintrone, Matteo Amerena
Dream Selection: Alessandro Mintrone
Dream Voices: Matteo Amerena
Prompt Design: Alessandro Mintrone, Matteo William Salsi, Mattia Carretti, Matteo Amerena
Light Design: Stefano Cane, Matteo Amerena
Technical Direction: Matteo Amerena
Hardware Engineering: Matteo Amerena, Matteo William Salsi, Alessandro Mintrone
Communication and Copy: Virginia Bianchi
Production Assistant: Filippo Aldovini, Virginia Bianchi, Martina Reggiani
Studio & Event Management: Martina Reggiani

The visuals of Onirica are based on a pipeline integrating the Diffusers: state-of-the-art diffusion model library developed by Huggingface and OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL). The performance is powered by NOITOM's MOCAP Perception Neuron.

Special Thanks: Alessandro Pelli and the staff of Teatro B. Asioli; Emilia Romagna Teatro and the staff of Teatro delle Passioni; Fabio Calvisi; Dr. Miranda Occhionero and Dr. Vincenzo Natale from the Laboratory of Psychophysiology of Sleep and Dream of the University of Bologna; G. William Domhoff from the University of California, Santa Cruz; Federica Patti; Epson Italia for the technical support.