Art and Shamanism
Art Residency

1-8 August 2025
Val di Susa, Italy


This residency is designed for anyone engaged in an artistic practice—whether professional or not—including dance, writing, painting, photography, sculpture, and beyond. It offers a retreat where participants can fully immerse themselves in their creative process while exploring its connection to a shamanic journey.
This experience invites participants to delve into the relationship between artistic expression and shamanic practice. Shamanic experience is a unique state of consciousness that enables communication with different levels of reality. Since ancient times, art and shamanism have been deeply intertwined across cultures, with prehistoric art offering rich testimony to this profound connection.
The rhythm of the drum, music, singing, and dance have long been integral to shamanic rituals, while visual arts in many contemporary cultures remain vivid expressions of this tradition. But what is the true connection between artistic creation and shamanic experience?
From a shamanic perspective, creating art is a ritual act—one that fosters a deep connection with oneself and with the sacred, vital essence of nature. Throughout this residency, participants will explore their artistic practice both as a means of transmitting shamanic visions and as a shamanic act in itself. The residency is open to all forms of artistic expression, including visual arts, sound arts, dance, performance, photography, video, and more.
For artists, engaging with shamanism presents an opportunity to enrich and expand their creative language. Likewise, for those already familiar with shamanic practice, this residency offers a unique space for artistic exploration.

Residency Structure

The journey will be both experiential and analytical. Morena Luciani Russo, an artist and teacher of shamanism, will guide participants through direct shamanic experiences, while Lorenzo Bordonaro, an artist and anthropologist, will curate discussions on shamanic art traditions.
Each morning, activities will take place both on-site and in sacred locations throughout Val di Susa—a region in northern Italy traversed by one of the Earth’s most powerful energy lines (Ley Lines). Notably, Mount Pirchiriano, home to the iconic Sacra di San Michele, is one of its major energetic centers, along with other significant archaeological sites and spiritual mountain peaks.
In the afternoons, participants will work independently, following their own creative flow. Evenings will be dedicated to experience-sharing, with selected nights featuring ritual ceremonies, including a fire ceremony.

Workspace and Final Project

Each participant will have a designated workspace tailored to their artistic practice, arranged in advance during the application process. While sharing artistic progress is encouraged, there is no expectation to complete a finished project by the end of the residency. However, participants are welcome to present their work in the months following the program.
Key Themes of Exploration

• Investigating the connection between shamanic spirituality and the artistic creative process.
• Understanding how art serves as a medium to express and transmit the shamanic worldview.
• Exploring artistic creation itself as a shamanic act.
• Examining how both art and shamanism dissolve the boundaries between humans and nature.

Throughout the residency, participants will also engage with artistic traditions from various cultures that exemplify shamanic art, including the Khoesan of Africa, Australian Aboriginal art, the Shipibo people of the Amazon, and the Huichol people of Mexico.
This residency offers a unique opportunity for artists and seekers alike to deepen their creative practice and spiritual journey in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Practical Details
Location

We will be staying at Cascina Bucolica Bed & Breakfast, located in Alpignano, at the entrance of the Val di Susa. This traditional Piedmontese farmhouse has been recently renovated and offers modern amenities, including a swimming pool. Its strategic location provides easy access to key sites in the valley.

What is included in the residency:

• All scheduled activities
• Accommodation and all meals (three per day) (see below)
• Workspace

What is not included:

• Art materials, tools, or equipment needed for specific artistic practices
• Transportation to and from the residency location
• Travel expenses during the residency (participants will carpool and share costs)

Costs

The cost of the residency is €560, excluding accommodation and meals.
Accommodation options and meal costs are available upon request by emailing: artesciamanesimo@gmail.com.
Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be vegetarian and freshly prepared daily.

How to Apply

The residency is limited to 12 participants.
To apply, please send a short motivation letter to artesciamanesimo@gmail.com, indicating the type of space you require for your artistic practice.
Once your application is accepted, a deposit of €200 for the residency and €100 for accommodation will be required to secure your spot.
For cancellations before June 30, the deposit will be refunded. After June 30, refunds will not be available.

Application deadline: May 30, 2025

Facilitators

Morena Luciani Russo
www.morenalucianirusso.eu

Morena Luciani Russo is an artist and teacher of shamanism. She accompanies women and men on the path of inner research, healing and shamanic exploration of nature.

Author of “Donne Sciamane” (Venexia 2012), she also dedicates herself to research in the field of social sciences, with particular attention to the anthropology of the sacred, the study of the traditions and archaic cults of Ancient Europe.

Over the years she has developed an original path of return to shamanic roots, to animals as an expression of the compassionate relationship with the Earth, to the drum as a way of accessing the invisible worlds and training for the free and harmonious mind.

Her art is part of the shamanic path in a fusion between contemporary language and ancestral symbols.

She holds seminars and conferences throughout Italy.

Lorenzo Bordonaro
www.bordonaro.eu

Lorenzo Bordonaro’s work deeply integrates anthropology and art. His background in philosophy and anthropology provides a strong intellectual foundation for his artistic and social practice. By combining ethnographic research with creative expression, his work gains depth, intertwining analytical intuition with aesthetic and political engagement.
His research in Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Portugal, and Brazil explores themes such as childhood, youth violence, urban culture, and migration, reflecting a strong commitment to understanding complex social dynamics. His goal is to transform this knowledge into public art, translating social commentary and political awareness into tangible, site-specific installations.
His participation in major international events such as the Venice Biennale and Manifesta 12 highlights the recognition of his work both in the art world and in academic circles. The fact that his work extends into politically sensitive and socially marginalized spaces—such as Brazilian favelas and Cape Verdean ghettos—demonstrates a profound commitment to using art as a tool for dialogue and change.
The sculpture Haven, awarded for its contribution to public art and sustainability and now permanently installed in Braga, represents a significant milestone in his artistic journey. His current interest in the relationship between humans and the natural environment suggests an evolving trajectory toward ecological themes, which are particularly relevant today.
Singing Platform, one of his most recent works, is a structure designed to be placed in natural settings, serving as a space for meditation, reflection, and connection with the forest. This project was realized in 2023 in Iquitos, Peru, in collaboration with Shipibo shamans. The piece exemplifies Bordonaro’s recent approach, which merges art and anthropology to create installations that foster deep interaction between humans and the natural world.
Lorenzo is also a certified integral yoga instructor and practices meditation daily.