VestAndPage is an artist duo founded in 2006 by Verena Stenke (Germany) and Andrea Pagnes (Italy), working in contemporary performance art, visual art, and film. Their work is positioned within the social, political and environmental context of spherology, fragility, memory activation and communication, with a strong influence of the artists’ backgrounds in philosophy and theatre.[1] They present meditative and ritualistic performances that challenge impermanence, transformation and self-awareness.[2] Over the past years they have presented their work extensively in Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia. They work in extensive collaborations in what they call "collective performance operas", and create "temporary artistic communities".An untitled controversial work presented in Singapore in 2011, involves the couple drinking Pagnes' blood. The artist stated in an interview that blood is "the purest part of me", and that "I am using drops of my soul to say something."[3]
Verena Stenke (born 1981, Bad Friedrichshall, Germany) is trained in theatre, martial arts, contemporary dance, and holds qualifications as special effects make-up artist and mask maker. She studied Oriental and Social Theatre. She lived in Berlin, and moved to Florence in 2006.
Andrea Pagnes (born 1962, Venice) holds degrees in Modern Literature and Philosophy, certificates of high studies in Museology, Art critic, and Creative writing, and obtained the diploma of Social Theatre actor and operator. He has been working as independent curator, writer, painter, and glass sculptor. He founded cultural magazines, and has been artistic director of a Murano glass factory. He has translated among others Jurassic Park[4] into Italian, and lived in Venice and Florence.
Verena Stenke and Andrea Pagnes are married, and currently living in Baden-Württemberg, Germany and Venice.[5]
Between 2010 and 2012, VestAndPage produced the experimental film trilogy sin∞fin The Movie in Antarctica, India, Kashmir, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, combining performance art with filmmaking.