I recently came across a video excerpt from the popular TV show ‘Italy’s Got Talent’ on youtube. Here was something truly beautiful and astonishing that I’d never seen before: the Quadri Plastici di Avigliano. Fascinated, I decided to find out more …

Plastic ‘Paintings’

Every year in Avigliano, a small town in the province of Potenza, Basilicata, a unique and extraordinary show takes place: la Sacra Rappresentazione dei Quadri Plastici. A quadro plastico, also known as a quadro vivente, is a living work of art which represents either a historical, sacred or mythological scene, or a masterpiece of figurative art using immobile actors and actresses.

A masterpiece by Caravaggio? Note the modern spotlight to the upper right.

The original painting: ‘Calling of St. Matthew’ by Caravaggio.

Etymological note: The word plastico (plastic) is derived from the Greek plastikos meaning “capable of being shaped or moulded”.

Origins

The official website of the Pro Loco di Avigliano gives us a bit of historical background:

Le prime notizie certe sulla rappresentazione dei quadri plastici si hanno ad Avigliano a partire dagli anni ‘20. Nella serata della vigilia delle più importanti festività aveva luogo la processione della “nave”, una costruzione con l’ossatura in legno, rivestita di carta colorata, con al centro la statuetta del Santo.

The first certain news of the representation of quadri plastici in Avigliano dates back to the 20’s. During the evening preceding the most important festivals the procession of the ‘nave’ took place. The ‘nave’ was a structure made from a wooden ‘skeleton’ covered in coloured paper, with a statue of the Saint in the middle.

La “nave” veniva portata a spalla e preceduta da uomini travestiti da turchi e da bambini che reggevano lampioncini veneziani. La nave era seguita da carri trainati da cavalli e muli sui quali venivano allestiti dei “quadri”, detti plastici, perché riproducevano soggetti di arte sacra e storica, interpretati da giovani, che ad ogni sosta dei carri assumevano quella rigidità statutaria che conferiva la tridimensionalità dell’opera d’arte rappresentata.

The ‘nave’ was carried by shoulder, and preceded by men dressed as Turks and children carrying paper lanterns. It was followed by carts pulled by horses and mules, upon which were staged “tableau”, known as plastici, because they reproduced subjects from sacred and historical art. These were interpreted by youths who, at every stopping off point of the carts, assumed a statue like rigidity that gave a three dimensionality to the artwork being reproduced.

Nella versione più moderna i quadri plastici venivano invece realizzati su palchi fissi e con la maggiore aderenza anche scenografica del soggetto riprodotto.

In the more modern version, the quadri plastici were created on fixed stages with a closer scenographic resemblance to the subject being reproduced.

Salomè con la testa del Battista by Caravaggio

Salomè, recreated by the actors and actresses of Avigliano

Dal Vivo (Live)

But to really appreciate the beauty of these tableaux you need to see them dal vivo (live), or the next best thing, on video. Here’s one of the most interesting videos that I’ve found on the subject.

In the next video a group of quadri viventi reproducing works by Caravaggio are presented on the TV show Italy’s Got Talent.

Alla prossima, ciao ciao!