3GB Vertical: The Dream Factory
Exploration on the art and craft of scenography through the lens of contemporary opera set design.
The dynamic interplay of architecture, performance, and storytelling, reimagining opera stages for the 21st century.
Instructor: Elena Manferdini
Assistant Teacher: Jenny Cook
Site: Rome Opera House
Aida explores themes of love, loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice against the backdrop of war and cultural conflict. It is a critique of systems that prioritize power and conquest over human connection.
Whether it’s the war-driven state, the rigidity of class and gender roles, or the obsession with national triumph, these structures destroy the very humanity they claim to protect. The reinterpretation of Aidas acclaimed Triumph March into the modern background could be interesting. For a modern audience, this tragedy holds a mirror to our own world: where wars are fought, inequalities persist, and love and loyalty are often sacrificed to the machinery of power. It forces us to ask—how much of our humanity are we willing to lose in the pursuit of triumph? How to transform? Symbolic elements:
Red moon: a symbolic of a nightmare, a unknown, unreal world.
Chessboard pieces: The characters lose their own humanity and sacrifice being the play roles of this ancestral hatred.
Radamès, the brave general, is emblematic of male ambition in a patriarchal system that rewards conquest and military dominance, yet ultimately discards him when he prioritizes love over duty. He is celebrated as a hero, sees the victory parade not as a moment of glory but as a nightmare.
Amneris’s role as the Pharaoh’s daughter highlights how women in patriarchal systems often wield power at the cost of their emotional fulfillment. Her jealousy and manipulation are shaped by her limited agency within a male-dominated world. She is both a victim and an agent of patriarchy, mirroring contemporary struggles where women navigate power structures that simultaneously empower and constrain them.
In this reimagined version of "Aida," the story unfolds in an alternate universe where an ancient Egyptian kingdom exists within a colossal chessboard world. The kingdom's society and architecture are intricately designed to mirror the aesthetics and structure of a chessboard, with each act representing a different phase of a grand chess tournament that dictates the fate of the realm.
Opera has long served as a mirror to society, reflecting its cultural, political, and emotional landscapes. In contemporary opera, this tradition continues to evolve, as the art form can no longer simply be re-enacted or replicated in its original form. To remain relevant and impactful, opera must adapt, embracing new interpretations.
Aida
Model Photos
Set 1
Set 2