If you enter the stage of the Antwerp opera from the side, you will be surprised by high shadows on the back wall. It is not without reason that the latest dance performance by Alain Platel (67) is called Ombra. The shadows reflect the crown of the only set piece on stage, a tree, 8 meters wide and 12 meters high. They worked on this for six months in the decorating studio in Zele, usually with eight people.
“This is one of the more challenging pieces we have ever made,” says Jurgen Baert, who, as head of the decorating studio of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, is somewhat accustomed. “It is very special that it is not just a set piece, but the translation to the stage of a work of art by Berlinde De Bruyckere. Inspired by her installation Cripplewood (2013) we built a model on a scale of 1 to 10. A small but special incident: the tree also had to be able to move.”
“The tree itself is a two-ton steel structure. But his frame was covered with bark, made in latex molds that Berlinde had used before. The dancers crawl into the top of his head, so the material had to be able to withstand a blow.”
Jurgen Baert
Head of the decorating studio of Opera Ballet Flanders
Alain Platel, who two years ago was a guest at the Antwerp opera as a choreographer C(h)oeurs, his latest dance performance unfolds as an ode to Gerard Mortier (1943-2014). This Ghent baker’s son has shaken up the rusted performing arts since the 1970s and set new standards as intendant of De Munt and artistic director of the Salzburg Festival. “Coincidentally, I was there when Mortier died exactly ten years ago,” says Platel. “While thinking about a metaphor for Gerard, I came across a tree. An object with a broad trunk and powerful roots, but also with various branches that refer to its artistic legacy. At the set for the performance Niece Schlafen (2016), I was already assisted by Berlinde De Bruyckere (59). But where inspiration was drawn from her sculptures with deformed horse bodies, this time she further deepens her passion with trees.”
Gerard Mortier, source of inspiration for Ombra. — © REUTERS
Alain Platel and Berlinde De Bruyckere on the stage of the Antwerp opera in front of Ombra’s tree. — © Dirk Kerstens
Ghent’s Berlinde De Bruyckere is not the first in the international art world. Her exhibition opens at the Venice Biennale on April 20, but soon one of her works will also be on display at the Antwerp Opera. Her gigantic tree, the only set piece in Ombra, can be viewed between the performances – free of charge and without reservation. “I think trees are living sculptures,” says De Bruyckere. “No sculptor could create such a powerful work of art.”
Hydraulic system
And yet she took up the challenge together with the people from the decorating studio of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. “The tree itself is a two-ton steel construction,” says Jurgen Baert. “But his frame was covered with bark, made in latex molds that Berlinde had previously used for her tree artworks. Depending on the light, the tree comes to life. The dancers crawl into the top of his head, so the material had to be able to withstand a blow.”
“Apart from the aesthetic aspect, some engineering work has gone into this construction,” says Baert. “Because we ended up with forces of 5 to 6 tons that had to be moved, we worked together with oil pressure specialists. They have designed a hydraulic system that can handle such tonnage. Without this approach, this set piece would have fallen loose through the theater floor.”
‘Ombra’ as a dance performance from 30/3 to 14/4 in the Antwerp opera house. Free viewing of the decor on April 4, 5, 7, 9 and 12 between 1 and 5:30 PM. www.operaballet.be
Tags: Twoton work art Berlinde Bruyckere steals show dance performance Alain Platel visit tree opera Antwerp
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