Romeo Castellucci (1960) made an international name for himself with thematically complex, visually rich theatre with few words. After studying scenography and painting in Bologna, he founded the Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio in 1981 together with Claudia Castellucci and Chiara Guidi. He divided his time between theatre and painting and created countless productions as an actor, director and set, light, sound and costume designer. In his theatre work, the body and the performers’ physical presence take centre stage. He aims to develop a language that can be understood throughout the world, like the language of music, sculpture, painting and architecture. Castellucci curated the theatre programme of the 37th Venice Biennale. In 2008, he was a guest curator at the 62nd Festival d’Avignon. Castellucci also directs operas, and his work is regularly featured at prestigious theatres, opera houses and international festivals.