GO! Marco

From 8 to 13 June, the blue horse will set off from Trieste on a journey through Slovenia, visiting people who still live in so-called special institutions.  

Once upon a time, a horse named Marco lived at the San Giovanni psychiatric hospital in Trieste. In his old age, patients saved him from inevitable slaughter by securing his pardon. For 50 years, Marco Cavallo’s sculpture has symbolized the dismantling of institutional walls in Italy and beyond. This spring, the blue horse will set off from Trieste on a journey through Slovenia, visiting people who still live in so-called special institutions, separated from society by walls.

The tour will include a cultural and artistic programme, with readings of works by psychiatrist Franco Basaglia, presented for the first time in Slovenian.

THE HORSE’S JOURNEY will follow the following route:

• Sunday, 8 June: Dutovlje, village centre, Dom na Krasu:
  • 13:30–14:30: parade through Dutovlje,
  • 15:00–17:00: visit to the Dom na Krasu with a performance by the Academy of Madness.
• Monday, 9 June: Ljubljana, city centre, Fužine Castle:
  • 15:00–17:00: parade through Ljubljana city center,
  • 18:00: arrival in Polje,
  • 20:00: performance by the Academy of Madness and accompanying program at Fužine Castle (MAO).
• Tuesday, 10 June: Maribor and Hrastovec, Maribor centre and SVZ Hrastovec:
  • 12:00–14:00: parade through Maribor,
  • 15:00: visit to SVZ Hrastovec and performance by the Academy of Madness.
• Wednesday, 11 June: Trate, Museum of Madness (painting of the Cmurek horse): 
  • 17:00: guided tour of the Museum of Madness,
  • 18:00: horse parade to the castle,
  • 19:30: performance by the Academy of Madness in the courtyard or hall,
  • 21:00:creening of the films Cantico dei matti (The Song of the Mad, 3’), Trieste racconta Basaglia (Trieste Talks About Basaglia, 52’), and discussion with director Erika Rossi, in the courtyard or hall.
• Friday, 13 June: Nova Gorica and Gorizia, ECoC venues, Basaglia Park:
  • 18:00: horse parade through Nova Gorica to Europe Square,
  • 20:30: welcoming of the horse in Basaglia Park,
  • 20:50: short film about Marco the horse’s first journey through Slovenia,
  • 21:00: Basaglia Cinema screening: Cantico dei matti (The Song of the Mad, 3’), and Noi siamo gli errori che permettono la vostra intelligenza (Imaginary Correspondences, 85’)