Olafur Eliasson designs sets and costumes for Rameau opera at Berlin State Opera

Olafur Eliasson has created the set design, costumes, and lighting concept for Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1733 opera Hippolyte et Aricie, now on stage at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. Directed by Aletta Collins and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, the production runs until December 8, 2018. Eliasson's design draws on his research into natural phenomena such as time, waves, and atmosphere, incorporating kaleidoscopic effects, light contrasts, and fog. Performers wear mirrors, lasers, or light elements, becoming what the artist calls 'instruments of light.' The staging integrates the orchestra and audience, creating a dreamlike, almost sci-fi experience. Eliasson aimed to make the Baroque opera accessible to contemporary audiences, stating, 'Rather than going back in time and visiting some dogmas of traditional Baroque opera, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that the Baroque has traveled several hundred years to reach us today.' He cited inspiration from 1990s Berlin club culture, where a 'Baroque connectivity of disciplines and ephemeral dimensions' blended music, dance, light, architecture, and conversation. The opera, based on Jean Racine's tragedy Phèdre, follows a complex love story traversing human and divine realms, with settings including forests sacred to Diana, Pluto's underworld, and Neptune's oceanic kingdom.