Original article: Pasacalle chileno se tomó epicentro de Moscú transformando las calles en un mundo submarino

Chilean Parade Transforms Moscow Streets into an Underwater Wonderland

Following a successful participation in the latest FITAM (International Theater Festival a Mil) across various regions of Chile, the parade «Oceano» captivated the Panrus Exhibition Center (VDNKh) for three days, delighting over 21,000 attendees with its family-focused performance.

It is important to note that VDNKh is the organizer of this festival. Opened in 1939, it is the largest open-air park and exhibition center in Russia, established during the Soviet era.

From July 24 to 26, «Oceano» was showcased as part of the Inspiration Festival in Moscow, which features performing arts, music, dance, and more. It became the highlight of each day, transforming the night into an underwater backdrop filled with marine life native to the southern Pacific coast, especially that of Chile.

This spectacle featured species such as blue whales, stromatolites, bilagay fish, grouper, and conger eels, among others.

Raising Environmental Awareness

The main message of this parade revolves around environmental issues and the urgent need for awareness regarding the detrimental effects of plastic on marine ecosystems. Therefore, all elements of the performance were created from reused solid waste such as bottles, canisters, plastic bags, and bits of polycarbonate, among others.

Produced by Ariete Producciones and directed by Juan Ibañez, this work has made a significant international impact, and this participation opens opportunities for extensive touring across various European countries.

For its original creation, Ariete teamed up with the CIAN collective, which has spent over 17 years creating art from waste and is well-recognized internationally.

In preparation for this presentation in Russia, Ariete and CIAN reunited to make a decision aligned with the focus of the work. Rather than transporting all the elements created in Chile and leaving a significant carbon footprint, they chose to craft an almost entirely new version in Moscow.

Thus, a co-production was formed between the festival itself and a delegation of 6 people who traveled from Chile to handle the entire production. This was supplemented by more than 28 Russian performers who manipulated the various marine species.

Months before the project commenced, a campaign was planned for collecting solid waste, as well as a work plan to complement the Chilean representatives’ efforts and the festival’s production team.

The parade left a profound impact on the thousands who attended, many of whom appreciated that, among other unique features, hundreds of children participated, creating fish from creative recycling produced during environmental education and creative recycling workshops led by the creators of Oceano.

Significant Chilean Participation

Finally, it is essential to highlight the substantial impact that national companies are making across various global competitions.

At this same festival, the work «Cabeza de Elefante» by the National Company Silencio Blanco received rave reviews from local critics.

In this context, it is crucial that the current Ministry of Arts and Culture, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supports such initiatives to promote national artistic creation.

El Ciudadano