Andrea Salustri and Oli Mathiesen win the call-out for two new choreographies

The Italian artist and choreographer Andrea Salustri and the New Zealand dancer and choreographer Oli Mathiesen are the winners of the call-out –national and international– dedicated to new choreographies.
Selected by the director Sir Wayne McGregor from a pool of 695 applicants, 119 from Italy and 576 from abroad, Andrea Salustri and Oli Mathiesen will make their debut with the world premiere of two new choreographies at the 20^th International Festival of Contemporary Dance, to be held in Venice from 17 July to 1 August.

Born in Rome and trained in Berlin, following his studies in dynamic manipulation and fire manipulation which he practiced as a street performer, and after earning a degree in philosophy at the Università La Sapienza in Rome, Andrea Salustri moved to Germany where he studied dance and choreography at HZT Berlin University. A transdisciplinary education that he brings into circulation in his works, in which he shapes a world of objects to manipulate, transform, respond to with the body to reveal their secret vitality. Like in Materia, a pas-de-deux between a body and an object that fascinated the audiences of Biennale Danza 2023: on stage one man alone, with styrofoam sheets and spheres.
“This new work, Invisible – reads the motivation – invites us to focus on the immaterial that surrounds us in unseen choreographies. What does it mean to dance with invisible elements like light and air? In a work that seamlessly blends smoke, mirrors, wind, light, and the human body, Salustri offers us startling new glimpses into the ephemeral nature of dance. Could dance merely be a way to briefly make the unseen visible?”

A New-Zealander of Maori origin, in his practice as a performer and choreographer Oli Mathiesen works across multiple disciplines – dance, theatre, cinema. A performer in Crystal Pite’s 10 Duets on a Theme of Rescue and artist in residence with Lucy Guerin’s company, Oli Mathiesen is an independent choreographer and was a guest of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave, winning many awards.
“Oli Mathiesen's radical practice – states the motivation – confronts and envelops. Just Between Me and Jesus, his new opus, is a provocatively physical piece inspired by club culture and religious imagery, blending queer celebration and critique. Featuring seven leading Aotearoa dance artists, it explores the collision of faith and sexuality through diverse movement styles and techno music, highlighting shared rituals, devotion, and belonging in an expression of collective euphoria”.

Andrea Salustri (Rome, 1988) is a choreographer and visual artist whose practice bridges dance, object manipulation and visual theatre. He began his career as a street performer, working with contact juggling and fire manipulation. He graduated cum laude in philosophy from the Università La Sapienza in Rome and subsequently moved to Berlin, where he studied contemporary dance and choreography at HZT Berlin University.
A circusnext laureate, Salustri’s work investigates the creative potential of inanimate matter, with a particular focus on the dialogue between the body and objects. His piece MATERIA has been performed in 24 countries across Europe and Asia and presented at major international venues and festivals including Biennale Danza in Venice, the Italy Pavilion at EXPO Osaka, the London International Mime Festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the Swiss Sound Biennale, and the Taipei Performing Arts Center, among others.
Alongside his performative productions, Salustri creates acoustic and kinetic installations exploring object agency and perception. He also leads workshops and lectures on his experimental approach to choreography and object manipulation. His work has been featured in international publications, books, television programs, and newspapers worldwide.

Oli Mathiesen / Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Manu, Ngāpuhi (New Zeland, 1999) is a choreographer and dancer, working nationally and internationally with some of Aotearoa and Australia’s top companies, including Atamira Dance Company, Black Grace, The New Zealand Dance Company, The Farm, Borderline Arts Ensemble, as well as performing Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite’s 10 Duets on a Theme of Rescue (2023). He is an accomplished performer and choreographer whose artistry traverses the dynamic intersections of dance, physical theatre, and film, all through the captivating lens of contemporary dance. His work is characterized by an unwavering commitment to discipline and a relentless pursuit of excellence, drawing inspiration from his diverse communities. This unique perspective, shaped by his indigenous, political, queer, and gendered identity, forms the essence of his artistry.
Oli Mathiesen’s radical, award-winning show The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave (2024) has been presented globally, including at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Melbourne’s RISING Festival, Sydney’s Liveworks Festival, Nelson Arts Festival, Christchurch’s Tiny Fest, Auckland Pride Festival, and Wellington’s New Zealand Fringe Festival. The show performed a smash hit season at the esteemed Summerhall in Edinburgh. Mathiesen also choreographed Hullabaloo (2024) for Black Grace, Arero Ma (2022) for Atamira Dance Company, Still Solo (2020) for Tempo Dance Festival, Divine Estate (2022) for The Performance Arcade, and Night and Mortar (2022) and FOSSE (2019) in partnership with Sharvon Mortimer. He has also worked with Lucy Guerin Inc, Red Leap Theatre, and Legs On The Wall in residence.