Black MaGic

Kalle Nio
Luis Sartori do Vale

In Black Magic two magicians collaborate closely together, despite being physically distant.

Exploring techniques of black theatre and double exposure – reminiscent of 19th-century trick photography- they seamlessly merge traditional methods and modern technology, allowing for the execution of illusions in real time, blurring the boundaries between ‘virtual’ and ‘real’.

Premiere: 2023
Set-up: indoor, front on
Age range: all ages
Duration: 20 minutes
Stage dimensions: flexible
Touring party: 2 people
Concept: Luis Sartori do Vale, Kalle Nio
Performance: Luis Sartori do Vale, Kalle Nio in alternance with Tom Cassani and Elmo Huovila
Music & sound design: Libero Mureddu
Special thanks: Leena Nio, Mira Ravald, Juuso Hannukainen
Photos: Mikko Pirinen
Production: WHS, Portmanteau
Kalle Nio
Kalle Nio (b. 1982) is a stage director, visual artist and magician. He works in the fields of visual theater, experimental film, new magic, contemporary circus and visual arts. Nio's group WHS is one of the most internationally active Finnish performance art groups, with their works performed in over 200 different theatres in more than 40 countries. Nio has received several awards for his work in magic, visual arts, and stage productions. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Arts Helsinki.
The previous stage productions by Nio have been produced by, among others, Fondation d’entreprise Hermès / New Settings, Théâtre de la Cité internationale Paris, São Luiz Teatro Municipal Lisbon, Helsinki Festival, EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Kiasma-Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, Kumu Art Museum - Estonia, Oulu Theatre, Trident – Scène Nationale de Cherbourg-Octeville.
www.kallenio.com
Luis Sartori do Vale
Luis Sartori do Vale is a performing artist, director and visual artist. Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, he's currently based in Helsinki, Finland.
After a diploma in Visual Arts from the Fine Arts Academy of UFMG (Brazil), he graduated from the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (ESAC, Belgium) as a circus artist.
Besides his own projects, he has worked and collaborated with several directors and companies such as Rolf Alme, Reynaldo Ramperssad, Petri Dish, Hurjaruuth, Kallo Collective, WHS, Archaos and Les 7 Doigts de la Main.
In 2012 he co-founded the Finnish company Nuua, becoming a laureate of the international project Circus Next, with the performance LENTO. With the same performance, he has been awarded the Special Prize of the Jury in the 35th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, in Paris.
In 2018 he co-founded the company Portmanteau, with Mira Ravald, being awarded the Sirkuksen Lumo Prize 2018 by Circusinfo Finland, as an acknowledgement for the work done to promote the Finnish circus arts.
In 2023 he became the first circus artist in Finland to be awarded the State's honorary grant and title of 'Artist Professor'.
He has performed in more than 25 countries worldwide. When not working with performing arts, he develops projects as a visual artist, between illustration, video, photography and installations.
https://www.luis-luis.com
How much can you trust your own eyes? Witness a double bill of world-class contemporary magic. Featuring the visceral precision of Tom Cassani’s Iterations and the dark, visual poetry of Black Magic by Kalle Nio and Luis Sartori do Vale. Reality is just the starting point.
We are touring Tom Cassani’s Iterations, and Kalle Nio and Luis Sartori Vale’s Black Magic either separately or as a double bill.
Together they create a 1-hour program (+10-minute interval), showcasing some of the most cutting-edge new magic.
For more information please contact Axel Satgé: axel@yelloweverything.com.