Querying what the State of Grace is at this time, is like glancing into the night. A night that however dark it may appear at first sight, is revealed full of fireflies. Francesca Cola State of Grace is a collaborative project lead by the author-dancer Francesca Cola who involved the photographer Silvia Pastore in the creative process. The project involved the performers of the Association "Oltre le Quinte" which have been accompanied in an intense psychic imaginative journey and culminated in a guided authorial creation of a photographic representation of their State of Grace. What does the State of Grace mean? It's a sublime condition in which body and mind are in full harmony. It's strictly related to the desire: a profound desire that does not arise from a lack but rather from a desire that emerges on the surface and takes shape in an image (body and landscape). De-sidera: looking to the stars but in the state of grace it is not the person who climbs towards the stars with his only strength, heroically. It is the stars themselves that emerge in the person. This happens suddenly, when the person is empty of desire and the stars are silent. Grace is, by essence, the unexpected. Francesca Cola led a long and intense period of dedicated to let emerge from the participants their personal and deeper image of a whish, their personal State of Grace. The process always started with the question: "What is the State of Grace for you?". From the first immediate response, a deep research was guided to stimulate the participants to make the concept concrete. Simple questions like "What perfume can you smell?", "Do you perceive light or dark?" "Is there sound around you?" they helped to encourage the creation of an increasingly effective and detailed image, a real "picture" “painted” inside. Each one began with a verbal description of their desire and feelings. After this deeper dialog of active imagination Cola shared the description of the States of Grace with Pastore and they thus created a shared mood board in which the personal vision was in dialogue with common iconographic references, from Caravaggio to Michelangelo, from David Hockney to Cézanne, just to name a few. The shooting was preceded by a theoretical-practical meeting with the photographer Silvia Pastore, who led the group to discover the technical and instrumental aspects and image analysis, both in the classroom and in practical outdoor experiences. Pastore looked forward to establishing a deep relationship of trust between her and the participants; it means that each of them felt he could be "seen" and photographed without any constraints and taboos. Each of them could express its deeper desire as during the deep and intimate dialogue with Cola. The next phase was developed in 3 months and saw the group work externally on 14 different locations, chosen on the indication of the participants for 17 photoshoots. As the photographer says, Silvia Pastore: "there have been perfect paintings from the first glance, there have been times in which as in a painting we waited for the right light, we climbed the trees, waded streams, smelled flowers bringing the perfume in the nose all day". A pure State of Grace made by accomplished personal desires.

Silvia Pastore is a freelance photographer from Torino. In 1998, only a twenty year old, she takes to the pitch as a sports photographer following the most important football events at the European level. She has carried out many industrial, commercial and social reportages. To large multinationals, she prefers emerging enterprises, both in food and fashion, especially as she follows sustainable fashion realities. In 2014 she publishes the book "In assenza di gravità",  published by Edizioni Add in collaboration with Vialli and Mauro Foundation for ALS research, in which she involves 50 Italian artists who she transforms into photographers for a day. Since 2016 she has been collaborating with the non-profit organization Casa OZ for the project “Un ponte tra ospedale e territorio” .

Francesca Cola is an author, dancer and choreographer.  She develops her studies in contemporary arts with the "Teatri  Anni Novanta" and she’s graduated at the University of Turin in Research theater and performing arts. Over the years she has deepened her studies in the field of contemporary dance, performing art and photography with internationally renowned masters. In 2008 he began producing in Italy and abroad. She is assistant to the choreographer Virgilio Sieni for the project "AltissimaPovertà" and "Torino - Gran Ballo Popolare 1945". Since 2014 she is an associated artist of the Zerogrammi Company. Her works affirm the search for new expressive semiotics through the integrated use of body language, relationship, the use of sound maps and strong use of the image that declares the belonging of the author of the field of visual arts.

Oltre le Quinte a.p.s. was established in 2016 and gathers professionals of artistic languages ​​in the educational social field and professionals in the performing arts, groups of artists, dancers and musicians and involves people with disabilities. The goal of Oltre le Quinte a.p.s in create a network within culture, arts, and social issues, promoting civic aggregation. Project by Francesca Cola and created in collaboration with the performers of Oltre le Quinte Management and coordination: Cristina Pastrello Authorial guide: Francesca Cola Photography: Silvia Pastore