Basel, Switzerland-based Lighting and Scenic Designer Lukas Marian chose Claypaky Tambora Batten Squaresand Sinfonya Profile 600 fixtures for the world premiere of "Oresteia.” The dance production by choreographers Frank Fannar Pedersen and Javier Rodriguez Cobos debuted with the St. Gallen Dance Company at the Konzert & Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Based on Greek mythology, “Oresteia” features an immersive scenography and lighting design by Marian with embedded Claypaky fixtures that achieve a unique aesthetic. The original “Oresteia” is a trilogy of fifth-century BCE Greek tragedies by Aeschylus concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus and the pacification of the Furies.
“I had complete freedom in planning the design,” Marian says. “I tried to pick up on the symbolism of the story and create a spectacular stage set from it. Large light objects and the atypical use of light sources play a central role in my work. I work with high contrasts and want my lighting design to connect with the dancers on stage like an additional dancer. Due to the theme of the "Oresteia," I wanted to develop a minimalist and modern stage showing both the divine and the human.”
The stage consists of an 8-meter truss ring equipped with 19 Claypaky Tambora Batten Squares used in single-pixel mode. “The ring is suspended from freely movable point hoists, which allow all movements and angles,” explains Marian. “In addition, a 6-meter pole with 17 moving light wash fixtures is suspended in the middle of the ring. We also produced five large pneumatic stair carriages, which are moved and used by the dancers during the piece. The dynamic use of projections and complex machine movements of the light ring created an immersive experience. We have also installed a sprinkler system in the truss ring, which is used for the finale creating a magical cloud of water in the air.”
According to Marian, the Tambora Squares were essential for the realization of the design. “With their robust construction and versatile hanging options, they enabled me to support the shape of the ring with potent, bright and moveable fixtures. The freely adjustable single-pixel mode allowed me to program effects that framed the scenery in a soft and detailed way. The tilt and zoom movement in combination with the movement of the whole ring created breathtaking lighting moods.”
Marian notes that the Tamboras are “beautiful devices in themselves: subtly built and yet they fit perfectly into a visible stage setting. The combination of single-pixel modes, tilt movement and extremely high zoom range make the Tamboras a creative multitool.”
He also used 16 Sinfonya Profile 600 “everywhere in the basic plot of the theater – some of them over the audience, some of them as backlights in the flyhouse. Thanks to the beautiful color coverage in the cold-white range, they complemented the rest of the design perfectly.”
The Claypaky distributor for Switzerland is ECM Switzerland.