Iztok Kovač is a choreographer and founder of En–Knap. Following the international success of his solo How I Caught a Falcon (1991), he became one of the key figures in the development of Slovenian contemporary dance. He founded En–Knap Group, Slovenia's first permanent contemporary dance ensemble, and serves as artistic director of both En–Knap and the Španski borci Cultural Centre. His works have toured internationally for more than three decades. Additionally, his artistic practice includes six dance films, international pedagogical work, guest choreography and the direction of major national events in Slovenia. During the Covid period, he initiated Stage360, developing dance works in virtual reality.
Amateur Smugglers 360 is the VR adaptation of the dance performance of the same name, created by choreographic duo Silvia Gribaudi and Andrea Rampazzo with En–Knap Group. Its virtual reality adaptation connects memories, archival images, embodied presence, and the lived experiences of people whose lives were shaped by the border between Italy and Yugoslavia after 1947 with the present.
16 September 1947 is the day when the new border line split Gorizia: one city became two countries. For nearly a decade, relatives and friends were completely separated. Yet people found ways to overcome the border—with imagination, courage, and human warmth. These are their stories. The VR360 experience invites us to take a closer look at the border: through the body, memory, and technology. To step into stories where a divided space transforms into a space of community, play, and humanity.