The opening of the 38th Romaeuropa Festival is an invitation to explore the beauty created by human beings, their ability to react to the constant mutations and fractures of the present. To bring this meditation to life, choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui turned to Japan and in particular to the Ukiyo-e (literally: images of the floating world) cultural movement aimed at depicting everyday life and urban landscapes of the Edo era (1603-1868). Impetuous turns out the choreography signed for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève (of which. Larbi is currently artistic director): eighteen performers on stage to bring to life a contemporary opera in which the compositions of Szymon Brzóska e Alexandre Dai Castaing blend with the sounds of tradition, interpreted by the master of the Taiko, composer and singer Shogo Yoshii. "Living moment by moment, turning entirely to the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the red leaves of maple trees, singing songs, drinking sake, consoling oneself by forgetting reality (...) this I call Ukiyo," said in 1661 the writer Asai Ryoi. Thus Larbi mixes cultures and aesthetics, contemporary dance and visual elements of the Japanese tradition and draws the audience into his "floating world" to tell the story of the impermanence of life, its fleetingness, and the ability of human beings to celebrate beauty even in moments of crisis.