The Spectacle Society
Micro Macro ets
Italy
The Spectacle Society is a participatory theatre and research project by Hombre Collettivo exploring how politics has increasingly adopted the language of media spectacle in Europe since the 1980s. Inspired by Guy Debord’s concept of the “integrated spectacle”, the project combines artistic creation with workshops, interviews and collective events involving different generations. By connecting personal memories with public narratives, the project creates spaces for critical reflection on democracy, media influence and the construction of collective memory.
The Spectacle Society investigates how political communication has progressively adopted the language of media spectacle and how this transformation has affected civic participation and collective imagination. Inspired by Guy Debord’s concept of the “integrated spectacle”, the work traces a historical trajectory from the 1980s to digital media ecosystems, algorithmic communication and the pervasive presence of social networks in public life. Artistically, the project aims to develop a hybrid theatrical language combining contemporary, non-verbal and object theatre with visual and sound composition. Alongside the artistic creation, the project develops participatory activities with local communities: workshops, interviews and collective gatherings involving different generations. Participants are invited to share memories, media references and personal experiences connected to political events and public narratives. These encounters culminate in participatory public events combining storytelling and music, creating spaces where communities can critically reflect on democracy, media influence and the construction of shared memory and European political identity.