Invisibility Cloak

Polymer ﬁlm, coated by a metallic agent, zipper, plexiglass.

Private Collection.

The work is part of Opera N.3 a Performance staged at Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan, inside the permanent site-specific installation by Anselm Kiefer, “The Seven Heavenly Palaces,” which takes its name from the palaces described in the Sefer Hechalot, the “Book of Palaces and Sanctuaries,” which dates back to the 5th-6th centuries A.D. The volume narrates the symbolic path of spiritual initiation that anyone who wants to become closer to God must undertake.

Music Collaboration with Salvatore Clemente (cello player ) Aurelia Braga De Matos (Piano player and voice) Fulvio Di Genova (cello player 2)

Andrea's work "Invisibility Cloak" and "Opera N.3" represents the culmination of a multifaceted project centred around three performances, conducted clandestinely, devoid of an audience, and unfolding under cover of night across three distinct institutions' venues. These locations—the university classrooms, municipal offices, and lastly, a contemporary art museum—serve as unconventional stages for a covert performative work.

The “invisibility cloak” is made out of thermic film and designed to evade heat detection systems or motion detectors (Passive InfraRed) during the raid theatrical night inside the Museum Hangar Bicocca at night.

The preparation of each incursion follows a consistent pattern: identification of security measures on the site; placement of alarm systems, cameras, and spaces where action can take place without triggering none of those; infiltration during daylight or opening hours; the artist's covert presence, concealed until the site's closure to the public; and nocturnal activities involving facial painting and theatrical enactment until daybreak. The project stems from a reflection on how it is possible to grasp the "neutral" aspects of representative spaces, dismantle an order, and establish new realities through the use of the theatrical act.

This project is rooted in contemplation of the "neutral" qualities inherent to representative spaces, aiming to dismantle established orders and engender novel realities. Taking a look at human presence in public spaces—shaping and being shaped by these environments—the artist embarked on a quest to emancipate themselves, at least in part, from these prevailing conditions. The resulting work includes the disruption of societal norms, symbolised by the act of trespassing, and facilitates engagement with reality's nuances. Through the medium of performance, the body emerges as an instrument for crafting alternative narratives. Drawing parallels with ceremonial practices observed in African cultures, the ritualistic act of facial painting assumes significance as a preparatory rite—a symbolic threshold marking the artist's journey towards the unknown.