About
Images that tell stories. Gestures that turn into theatre.
I tell stories through sand,
performed live on stage for theatres and major events across Italy and Europe.
Visuals come to life, transform, and vanish in perfect synchronization with the music.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes surging with the force of a wave.
PALAZZO VECCHIO · TEATRO DONIZETTI · KKL LUCERNA · VENARIA REALE · MUSEO ENZO FERRARI · SPORTING MONTECARLO
Life before Sand
I have drawn for as long as I can remember, growing up with a pencil in my hand in a village in the Piccole Dolomiti. It was a world of outdoor adventures, play, family, and tales rich with legend. Those are my cherished memories, and that is where I developed a deep reverence for nature and an appreciation for the subtle details in life.
To feel it before making anyone else feel it.
Life eventually took me elsewhere, but I return to my mountains whenever I can. It is a connection that never fades.
I immerse myself in music of all genres. It shapes my artistic background just as much as drawing does. Art has always been my natural language—and a refuge during difficult times as I grew up. Driven by a childhood dream of illustrated books, I formally studied art and explored a wide range of expressive and painterly techniques. What sets my work apart has always been the immediacy of my line and the fluid control behind every gesture.
The Turning Point
That was when I crossed paths with Carlo Truzzi—a gifted artist, shadowgraphy master, and dear friend. He introduced me to the art of shadows, hand shapes, and live entertainment.
From there, I channeled everything into narrative performance.
Taking a Chance
My journey with sand art began in 2007 with almost tribal transformations—a tribute to Mother Nature and the essence of life.
Sand is pure and fundamental. It is an element that belongs to me.
Back then, live Sand Art was virtually unknown in Italy. Embracing it was a bit of a gamble. Yet, right from the start, I began working in the event industry, collaborating with major agencies and high-profile productions.
Since then, more than fifteen years have passed—years dedicated to continuous study, passion, research, and new creative projects.
I have had the great honor of performing in iconic venues such as the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, the KKL in Lucerne, the Reggia di Venaria, the Stadio dei Marmi, the Enzo Ferrari Museum, and the Monte-Carlo Sporting Club, across Italy, France, and Switzerland. My performances have brought stories to life in theatres, corporate conventions, galas, public events, and concerts, before prominent figures from the worlds of business, politics, and public institutions.
On Stage
Darkness. Then, the warm glow of the light table comes alive, and the sand catches it—kissed by the light like dust in the beam of a projector. I scoop it up and drop it slowly from above, soft and weightless. Then the music takes over. In those brief seconds, there is pure focus, and the desire to transport the audience into a dreamlike, visionary world.
When it works its magic, an almost reverent hush falls across the room. Time stands still, and you feel every single person drawn into the very same frame.
What I create is a performance act.
On stage, my gestures, my movement, and the rhythm speak as powerfully as the images themselves.
Light, matter, gesture.
Sand becomes the canvas, where fingers paint and sculpt as one—by adding and taking away.
Live, there is no second chance. A single gesture, no corrections. As in live painting, the truth of the moment matters more than perfection.
I strive for harmony and expression rather than technical perfection.
I’ve never considered myself a conventional sand artist.
My work is an ongoing search within visual theatre.
Through the years, I’ve tested various techniques, projections, and new mediums, training as a co-writer and scriptwriter to collaborate closely with authors, actors, voice talents, and musicians.
It’s not customization:
it’s storytelling.
For every project, I start from scratch.
But it’s not customization: it’s storytelling.
I craft a dramaturgy, choose the mediums, shape the pacing, and carefully tune the music and movement—guided by the perspective of a writer orchestrating every layer. I am almost obsessed with how a story resonates with the audience.
The Stories I Tell
I have told major corporate stories, as well as deeply human ones: a political refugee’s journey for LUISS University and UNHCR, rebirth through sport for Bebe Vio’s foundation, and cancer prevention for LILT.
I have also addressed difficult themes, such as war, earthquakes, and floods in Italy. These are the projects I hold most dear.
It’s not just emotion.
A live-crafted image possesses a unique communicative power.
It lights up a message, makes it tangible, and anchors it in the viewer's mind.
All of this feeds into my unique artistic identity and signature style.
The cross-pollination, passions, memories, and lived experiences —a background that simply cannot be replicated.
Behind a few short minutes on stage lies unseen dedication, with the creative phase being the most demanding.
The uncertainty, the continuous revisions, the quiet stretch before the right image takes shape.
When it finally clicks, it appears effortless—just as it should.
I frequently work alongside a team of writers, musicians, and technicians, supported by trusted collaborators who share my creative direction and turn it into reality. Every project is executed with precision, reliability, and expertise throughout every phase. Nothing is left to chance in live performances.
In the end, what people bring up most is almost always the same thing—the emotional bond linking the movement, the image, and the music.
The way hands dance across the canvas, the awe of each transformation.
The truth is that even after all these years, I am still the very first person to feel that wonder.
What I Seek
Sand remains the core of my creative work, around which my research expands into new materials, surfaces, and cross-pollinations from theatre and fine art.
As my techniques have evolved, so has the process behind them:
storytelling and direction have become just as integral to my trade as the art of drawing itself.
The drive to evolve as an artist never fades.
I long to see my art meet a live orchestra.
My wish is to draw viewers into a journey of the imagination—much like listening to a story or drifting into a piece of music as images bloom in the mind.
To bring the abstract into sight, giving form to the world I feel within and wish to see.
Because in these hands, again and again, infinite stories can be born.
Art can plant a seed of beauty.
A pause to step away, to be carried away and lulled, to find yourself.
Only a few minutes long, but leaving a lifelong impression.
At a glance
Nadia Pretto is a visual and performance artist.
For over fifteen years, she has brought live sand art performances to the stage, finely crafted in sync with music like a visual score.
Metamorphosis is her trademark style.
She has performed in prestigious venues including the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, the KKL Luzern, and the Sporting Monte-Carlo.