Native to Central Europe and Northeastern Italy, the legend of Krampus was born in parallel to the centennial tradition of San Nicola, tied to the winter solstice.
Originally, the Krampus were groups of youngsters from the mountains who, during periods of famine, terrorized and robbed the inhabitants of nearby villages dressed in animal furs, feathers, skins, and horns. One day, a real demon hid among them, disguising his devilish face, and recognizable only by his pawns in the shape of goat hoofs.
Bishop Nicola was able to prevail over the evil entity, giving birth to a traditional parade during which, every year, on the night of December 5th, many young men and women disguise themselves as demons in order to punish bad children.
Roberto Masiero’s project aims at telling the tale of the Krampus: from the more known tradition to the natural landscapes in which their actions take place, through their life in the woods, observing them closely in the same fashion as the Krampus do every day when they observe the children, checking and assesing their demeanor.