at times challenging for my methodology,
because the perspective in theatre for each
individual viewer is relatively fixed, and an
important concept for my work has always
been the idea of motivating the viewer to
become an active coproducer of the expe-
rience.’ The artist’s enthusiasm for dance,
movement and the body, however, inspired
him and his team to adapt to the different
conditions of the theatre.
Meanwhile, Massimo Uberti trans-
lated his geometric neon-light installations
- the result of ‘a desire to reduce process to
its essential components and to present light
in its purest form’ – into the scenography for
dance performance Domus Aurea in Turin
and Milan, echoing the quest for perfection
and emotion in Diego Tortelli’s choreography.
Similarly, Tillmans’ stage design for Benjamin
Britten’s War Requiem at the English National
Opera (ENO) in London offers a fresh per-
spective on the renowned photographer’s
images, connecting them to the story evolv-
ing onstage. ENO’s artistic director Daniel
Kramer says he selected Tillmans for the
project as he ‘knew both his aesthetic and his
German heritage would bring an essential
human and political viewpoint to Britten’s
pacifist masterpiece’. The collaboration also
reveals that farther vantage points can neces-
sitate new means of display. Scenes in War
Requiem were created with three movable
8-m-tall LED walls and a 20-m-wide rear pro-
jection screen, all of which were developed
specifically for the production.
As sated consumers, we’re becoming
so accustomed to moving images and immer-
sive experiences that traditional museum
exhibits may fail to capture our dwindling
attention spans. The real-life equivalent of
motion pictures, theatre could provide artists
with a different audience – one seeking a
cultured alternative to a night plonked on the
couch watching Netflix. – TI‘Unlike an art
exhibition,
works for stage
unfold over
time in front of
the relatively
passive viewer’
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