Il cerchio delle Agane
Culture Community
Installation • Illustration
The circle of the Agane is a light installation that explores the theme of Agane (or Anguane), hybrid creatures, part human and part monster, rooted in Alpine folklore, which inhabit streams and watercourses. The project encourages the rediscovery of Treviso’s folklore to foster intergenerational exchange.
Abstract
Since ancient times, humans have transformed natural phenomena and events they could not understand into myths or legends. Often, the inscrutable world of forests, rivers, and mountains was represented by monstrous figures, hybrids of man and nature, who were the guardians of knowledge that could not be explained rationally.
Throughout the Alps, there are tales of the Agane (or Anguane). Skilled weavers, they are often seen along mountain streams, washing white linen cloths they have woven from inexhaustible skeins of yarn, or dancing in circles that last as long as the night. If the humans who encounter them prove themselves worthy, they are rewarded with magical gifts.
In this installation, the Agane serve as a metaphor for the encounter between the human and the non-human, an opportunity to reflect on our connection to the ecosystem and on the need to pass down knowledge and practices across generations. The goal is to spark a dialogue among the residents of Revine and the surrounding area, helping them rediscover their origins, the community to which they belong, and the land they inhabit.
Context
"Luci su Revine" is an event curated by Filwood Filosophy, organised by Piattaforma Lago and Pro Loco di Revine Lago, and included in the programme of activities of Revine Lago 2024 - Capitale Europea Del Cinema Indipendente. The festival transforms the small and enchanting village of Revine into a luminous path, immersing visitors in a unique and magical atmosphere that sees Light as the protagonist and a means of rekindling interest in the perimontan community.
“The Circle of the Agane” fits into this context: a cylinder of illustrated fabric suspended within a historic stone courtyard.
At the center of the installation is a light source that, thanks to a glass hemisphere filled with water, creates reflections and ripples on the fabric surface.
In the background, a narrator’s voice recounts a legend connected to the Agane.
The four dancing Agane are illustrated by the Collettivo Armellina (Camilla Fassina, Irene Fattori, and Arcangela Dicesare), a group of local illustrators who freely interpreted the theme using mixed media.
As the fabrics move in the wind and interact with the light, they create an evocative dance.
