Tarantismo: Odyssey of an Italian Ritual

Publication documenting a centuries-old choreo-musical ritual from Southern Italy, used to exorcise women of a mysterious evil caused by the bite of a spider. It gathers contributions by artists, sociologists, anthropologists, scientists, and priests, and features a large ensemble of photographs.

FLEE is proud to present its new project: Tarantismo: Odyssey of an Italian Ritual. Dedicated to Tarentism, this project tells the story of a centuries-old dance and music ritual from Southern Italy, mobilizing frenetic rhythms and maniac dances, to exorcise women of a mysterious evil caused by the bite of a spider.
Trans-disciplinary, this effort of documentation and artistic re-interpretation of one Europe’s most mysterious trance phenomenon is comprised of a double LP vinyl compilation and a hardcover Italian/English book.

With nine essays focusing on various dimensions of the ritual, this bilingual publication gives the voice to artists, photographers, sociologists, anthropologists, and catholic priests. Witnesses, experts or actors of the history of this music exorcism, the book contains the contributions and exclusive photographs of: Chiara Samugheo (Pier Paolo Pasolini’s photographer), Edoardo Winspeare, Claudia Attimonelli, Pamela Dia- mante, Luigi Chiriatti, Salvatore Bevilacqua, Gino Di Mitri and Mattia Zappellaro.