Marianna Simnett's AI-Enhanced Flute Opera GORGON Premieres in Berlin

Marianna Simnett's first staged work, GORGON, premiered at HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU2) in Berlin from September 13 to 17. This hourlong 'flute opera' modernizes the Gorgon's creation myth through AI projections, video, music, and movement performed by eight actors and musicians. Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation, the production features AI-generated creatures with jerky facial expressions that critics found unconvincing. Simnett, a trained flautist, transforms aggressive flute playing via generative neural networks into unsettling AI-modified sounds resembling whistling kettles or steam engines. The narrative follows Greta, a doughnut-stand employee who dreams of becoming a 'corporate queen' and sends her intern Hans to capture the Gorgon's cry in the forest. The plot references Anne Carson's 1994 essay 'The Gender of Sound' and includes surreal lyrics like 'cockroach, cacao, vaginal thrush,' requiring a 24-page booklet for comprehension. While the score powerfully evokes themes of femininity and power, the complex storyline distracts from these strengths. The work extends Simnett's exploration of Greek mythology and femininity-monstrosity connections from her 2022 exhibition OGRESS at Berlin's Société.