{"id":31242,"date":"2025-06-09T10:37:46","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xceed.me\/blog\/?p=31242"},"modified":"2025-06-17T14:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T12:21:57","slug":"videocitta-interview-2025-xceed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xceed.me\/blog\/en\/videocitta-interview-2025-xceed\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Videocitt\u00e0: Turning a gasometer into a cultural innovation hub"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What happens when you turn a colossal gasometer into a canvas for sound, light, and vision? You get Videocitt\u00e0<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 Rome\u2019s boldest fusion of electronic music and visual experimentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From July 3rd to 6th<\/strong>, the festival returns for its 8th edition, continuing its mission to reimagine what a cultural event can be. With over 550 artists featured since its launch, Videocitt\u00e0 has become a magnet for those seeking the unexpected \u2014 where music is just the starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our new NIGHTMAG interview<\/a><\/strong> with Francesco Dobrovich, Creative Director of Videocitt\u00e0<\/strong>, we dive into the origins of the project, the creative risks that fuel it, and what makes this year\u2019s edition a glimpse into the future of festival culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TICKETS VIDEOCITT\u00c0<\/strong> 2025<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Official<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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You describe Videocitt\u00e0 as a “festival of vision.” What does that mean to you in 2025, and how has that vision evolved over 8 editions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we say “festival of vision,” we’re really talking about how we see and experience the world through screens, apps, and digital tools today. It’s about understanding how these technologies change the way we connect with each other and create community. So in many ways, it’s also a festival about people coming together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve always tried to stay close to what’s happening right now – sometimes we catch things a bit early. Like in 2019, we were already exploring TikTok’s creative side when most cultural spaces in Italy weren’t paying attention yet. In 2020, we started conversations about deepfakes and AI-generated images. We move with the times, but we’re always looking around the corner to see what’s next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re not a music festival in the traditional sense. How do you strike the right balance between artistic experimentation, music, tech, and mainstream interest?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exactly, we’re not a traditional music festival – that’s intentional. Every performance here has a strong visual concept behind it, with carefully designed lighting and interactive elements. Music is never just music for us – it’s always part of a bigger visual and technological experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don’t chase what’s already popular. We’re more interested in finding artists who are creating new aesthetics and stories – people who might not be famous yet, but probably will be. In 2024, we invited Tommy Cash because of his incredible visual language, both on stage and on social media. A year later, he broke through with Espresso Macchiato. That’s not luck – it’s about recognizing something before it becomes obvious to everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We take creative risks every year, not just to be different, but because we want to offer our audience a glimpse of what’s coming. Videocitt\u00e0 is where things start, where innovation meets culture before it becomes a trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Performer<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From AI-powered documentaries to VR rituals and digital sunsets on Rome’s industrial relics – what’s something you programmed this year that made you think “this could only happen at Videocitt\u00e0”?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many moments this year that feel uniquely ours, but what really sets us apart is working inside the Gazometro – Europe’s tallest gas holder, almost 100 meters high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, Solar by Davide Quayola, produced by Eni, will be a completely immersive experience that really defines what we’re about. We’ll have over 100 VR and mixed reality headsets available, including a 25-minute Ayahuasca VR journey and a mixed reality tour by French artist Adelaine Schwazer around the Gazometro area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then we have our signature audiovisual performances with Spanish collective Bromo, Ela Minus, Ascendant Vierge, okgiorgio, and many Italian artists bringing together energic sets with innovation. For some artists like Victoria De Angelis, we also curate the audiovisual show ourselves, creating something unique for their performance.

We’re also dedicating time to artificial intelligence through talks and debates. We want to help people understand this revolution in a clear, thoughtful way – looking at both the challenges and opportunities. This mix of site-specific art, technology, and meaningful conversation is what makes Videocitt\u00e0 unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music is never just music for us – it’s always part of a bigger visual and technological experiment.<\/p>\nFrancesco Dobrovich, Creative Director of Videocitt\u00e0<\/strong> for NIGHTMAG (2025)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n