Francesco Migliaccio
Francesco is an incredible performing artist and dancer based in London and over the past few years his talents have taken him all over the world. We met up with Francesco in September in East London to hear more about his recent project W.A.Y. Having read Patti Smith’s book combined with our passion for Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography we decided to do this photoshoot.
Date: 2nd February 2019 / Location: Victoria Park Village, London / Profession: Performance Artist / Instagram: @fram94
Beatrice: You recently went to South Korea, if I am right. What was the project about?
Francesco: The project was called W.A.Y and premiered in Seoul in South Korea. It was a collaboration with a Korean choreographer, an English dancer, a Korean and Belgium-based musicians and was created with the support of the Korean Arts Council and the Flemish Government.
“MOST OF THE TIME I JUST FEEL FABULOUS”
B: How did you get into performance art/dancing? How did it all start?
F: I started dance when I was 9 years old. My first role was playing the wolf in the play ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ (LOL).
B: How does performing make you feel?
F: It depends on the performance but most of the time I just feel FABULOUS.
B: Who is your inspiration for your art form?
F: Probably Joan Jonas, the artist I have been lucky enough to work with for the past few years and travel the world with.
B: You’ve travelled a lot with performing and have recently been to Japan. What was the main difference you noticed?
F: In Japan I noticed that in general they have more respect to the way they behave than we have here in Europe. Love and affection are expressed through hard work and respect. A bow replaces a hug, but in that bow there is all the sweetness of the world.
B: Where are you from originally? And when did you move to London?
F: I’m from Naples and moved to London 6 years ago to start my undergraduate studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
B: London has so many connotations surrounding it, do you feel it met your expectations?
F: London felt like a furious horse too tame. When I first arrived, I got lost many times but eventually I found my rhythm in this city that now I consider home.
“A BOW REPLACES A HUG, BUT IN THAT BOW THERE IS ALL THE SWEETNESS OF THE WORLD”
B: What are your two favourite things about London?
F: My queer family and the sense of belonging to a group of fabulous people.
B: Is there anything that makes you feel sad about the society you live in, in London?
F: There is an abysmal economic disparity between the various social classes in and around London. Every year i notice an increase in homeless people and i find that hard. I also believe that there has been a big increase in corporations involved with protests like Pride.
Credits
Chains by Rah Rah Studio / industrial design practice based in Berlin. Rah Rah Studio designs and acts in ways that are compatible with the permanence of life and a social-society on Earth. Their chains are made with bio-plastics. / www.rahrahstudio.com
Mask and tracksuit by Casey Caldwell @caseyyalater / Gloves by Balenciaga
Words: Beatrice Tamagnini
Photography: Beatrice Tamagnini
