(De)ossigenazione is an immersive performance that transports audiences to the depths of the Black Sea—a fragile ecosystem suffocating under the devastating impact of eutrophication. Through a visual and symbolic narrative, the piece intertwines the stark reality of the ecological crisis with a message of hope and renewal. Created during an artistic residency in Sozopol, Bulgaria, as part of the international project EMPACT: Empathy and Sustainability – The Art of Thinking Like a Mountain, the performance gives voice to reflections on nature’s ability to regenerate with our help.  

The scene begins in deep, almost hypnotic silence, evoking the oppressive stillness of an anoxic sea. At the center lies a Bulgarian girl wrapped in a dark green shroud, symbolizing future generations and their connection to what lies ahead. This image represents the anoxia suffocating the Black Sea, a direct result of eutrophication that deprives the waters of oxygen, gradually killing marine life. Every movement of the girl is slow and laborious as if trapped in a dense and inhospitable substance—a visual metaphor for the agony of a crisis-ridden ecosystem. The audience feels the weight of this stillness, sensing the intense suffering of an environment on the brink of collapse.  

Then, a sign of change suddenly emerges from the cocoon: red gloves. These gloves represent the red algae of the genus Phyllophora, which were once abundant in the Black Sea and crucial for marine biodiversity. These red gloves symbolize renewal, hinting that, despite widespread devastation, life can reemerge and flourish.  

The transformation gathers momentum with a striking chromatic shift: the green cocoon gradually dissolves, giving way to shades of blue—a color signifying regeneration and the restored purity of the waters. Finally freed, the child dances upon an intense blue fabric, with each movement evoking the return of biodiversity and the resilience of the sea. Now liberated from suffering, the girl dances gracefully on blue fabric that symbolizes the rebirth of biodiversity and the strength of the sea. Each gesture reminds us of nature’s power to reclaim itself when given the right conditions.  

The title (De)ossigenazione enriches the performance’s layered meaning through a play on words. It simultaneously evokes the oxygen depletion caused by eutrophication while hinting at the possibility of renewal—a return to breath and vitality. In this way, the performance serves as a visual allegory, depicting a powerful journey from suffocation to liberation, from decline to rebirth.  

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* Eutrophication results from excess nutrients—primarily nitrogen and phosphorus—from agricultural fertilizers, industrial discharges, and urban runoff. The accumulation of these nutrients causes uncontrolled growth of algae and phytoplankton, whose death and decomposition consume large amounts of oxygen, creating oxygen-depleted areas—” dead zones.” Marine life cannot survive in these areas, leading to the collapse of ecosystems and a loss of biodiversity.

 

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