Kara Walker directs Bellini's Norma at Venice's La Fenice

Kara Walker, a celebrated African American artist, has unveiled a fresh interpretation of Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, which debuted in 2016. This rendition is situated in colonial Central Africa, particularly in the French Congo, where Italian explorer Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà is portrayed as a perpetrator against Congolese women. Marking the first staging of Norma at La Fenice since 1993, it aligns with the 56th Venice Biennale. Walker is responsible for the sets and costumes, utilizing a palette of white, red, and black, though some elements faced backlash. Direction by Charles Fabius has been critiqued as less impactful. Noteworthy past productions include those by Massimo Gasperon, Jossi Wieler, Sergio Morabito, and Moshe Leiser.