A Busy Marina Abramović Taps Riccardo Tisci for Maria Callas Opera Project
LIFE AND DEATH: Riccardo Tisci, who just showed his second collection for Burberry during London Fashion Week, will be turning his attention from beige to opera stage, dressing his pal Marina Abramović for her upcoming original work “Seven Deaths,” showing Maria Callas playing dying women in a variety of operas.
The opera, which is set to premiere at the Munich Opera House in 2020, has been in the works for a while, and will see Abramović play her hero, Callas, dying in operas including “Madame Butterfly” and “Tosca.” Tisci will dress her, as well as the other characters.
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Seated front row at the Burberry show in London, the Belgrade-born artist said the production will travel to Paris, the Barbican in London, Berlin and Moscow.
“I talked to Riccardo about the characters, and he will have total freedom in what he designs. Our collaboration is one based on trust,” said Abramović, a close friend and longtime collaborator of Tisci’s. “Riccardo doesn’t work well when he’s restricted,” she added with a smile.
“Seven Deaths” is just one of the projects the artist has been working on. Abramović added that she is getting ready for a major exhibition at London’s Royal Academy in September 2020.
This month, she is also appearing at the Serpentine Gallery in “Marina Abramović: The Life,” a performance that involves an augmented reality experience for the viewer. The artist said the show, which runs until Feb. 24 and is sold out, revolves around “how to create a virtual self,” and live into eternity.
The piece lasts 19 minutes and is meant to reflect the artist’s fascination with the notion of “material absence.” “The Life” is produced by Tin Drum, a studio that works exclusively in mixed reality.
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