Stefano Boeri designs scenography for Greek theatre Syracuse. A dead forest for the trojan women
04/05/2019.
[Syracuse] Italy
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
Stefano Boeri Aarchitetti repurposes a group of dead trees, coming from Prealpi Carniche, designding the stage project of The Trojan Women of Euripides, directed by Muriel Mayette-Holtz, on stage from the 10th of May to the 23rd of June 2019 at the Teatro Greco of Siracusa and promoted by Fondazione INDA.
The scenography for this famous ancient greek theater in Italy, which given the name ‘dead forest’, uses over 100 trunks coming from Prealpi Carniche, the italian alps following a terrible storm in october 2018.
The spruces from Friuli become real protagonists of the stage project for Siracusa thanks to the precious collaboration of Innova FVG.
The scenography for this famous ancient greek theater in Italy, which given the name ‘dead forest’, uses over 100 trunks coming from Prealpi Carniche, the italian alps following a terrible storm in october 2018.
The spruces from Friuli become real protagonists of the stage project for Siracusa thanks to the precious collaboration of Innova FVG.
Rendering. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Filiera Legno FVG
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Filiera Legno FVG
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Filiera Legno FVG
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Sketch. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Sketch. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Sketch. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Diagram. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Section. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Section. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Section detail. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
Rendering. A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
A dead forest for the trojan women by Stefano Boeri. Image courtesy Stefano Boeri
The scenic project for the Euripide’s tragedy The Trojan women is an idea of a landscape rather than an architectural presence in the suggestive environment of Greek Theater of Syracuse. According to the idea of the Director Muriel Mayette-Holtz, the Trojan women are among us as the refugees escaping the destruction and disaster in their homelands in search of a better luck overseas. They are the victims of the terroristic attacks, confused and disoriented. But they are also millions of fir trees and spruces smashed down by the Vaia storm in the North-Eastern Italy, in the Carnic forests of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The economical and environmental impact of the storm that on October 29th 2018 has destroyed the area of 41.000 ha of forest is yet to be analyzed, but even the rough estimations demonstrate that the amount of wood nailed to the ground by the strongest wind this area has ever experienced, is 7 times superior to the material that all italian sawmills could potentially elaborate in 1 year.
So the idea of the scenic project is born out of necessity of creating, by the means of culture and design, of a bridge between the two tragedies that are 2000 years apart, between the two regions separated by 1500 km, between humans and nature.
The economical and environmental impact of the storm that on October 29th 2018 has destroyed the area of 41.000 ha of forest is yet to be analyzed, but even the rough estimations demonstrate that the amount of wood nailed to the ground by the strongest wind this area has ever experienced, is 7 times superior to the material that all italian sawmills could potentially elaborate in 1 year.
So the idea of the scenic project is born out of necessity of creating, by the means of culture and design, of a bridge between the two tragedies that are 2000 years apart, between the two regions separated by 1500 km, between humans and nature.
Description of project by Stefano Boeri
A Dead Forest". A forest of trees killed by a storm, of broken trunks that cover the ground. When I have been asked by Antonio Calbi to imagine a stage project for The Trojan Women of Euripides at the Theater of Siracusa directed by Muriel Mayette – Holz, I thought from the very beginning to portray a Landscape more than a stage scenography. So, walking the stone bleachers of the Theater and looking at the cypresses and maritime pines wood that acts like a natural scenography for the stage, my thought went immediately to the spectalur and terrible image of the thousands of trees shot down by the Carnia wind fury of last october.
Thousands of spruces eradicated and laid down on the ground designing a blurred wake of desolation through the powerful order of the most ancient forests. With Muriel Mayette – Holtz and her team, with the precious assistance of Anastasia Kucherova, we decided to give to those dead plants the last possibility to be present, erect, and still noble within the classical geometry of the Teatro Greco's stage. They are in front of a double public: the one made of human beings on the bleachers and the one made by the trees that make the wood beyond the stage. So, the swarm of the crashed trees, once transported to Siracusa and taken on stage, blended with bodies and the desperate and furious voices of the Trojan Women, has become a dead forest of wooden columns: erect even though sadly decimated. Proud and well ordered, though destined to a new life in sicilian sawmills.
The truth is that today a tragedy that comes from the depths of time is there to remind us the follies of men; and that this tragedy is performed on stage probably in a moment of history when the extremely long times of the evolution of the planet seem to conicide with our daily choices and force us to face our responsibilities towards the natural environment.
The last journey of Carnia crashed forests to the sicilian woods is a symbolic new born bridge between the forest rangers from Friuli and the ones from Sicily. Together with the involvement of the public to create a new forest dedicated to the protagonists of Euripides' tragedy, are a message of hope; or of awareness of our constant ignorance toward a tragedy stegaed for the first time 2500 years ago” Stefano Boeri.
More information
Architects
Founding Partner.- Stefano Boeri. Project leader.- Anastasia Kucherova
Light Design
Angelo Linzalata
Partners
Technical Partners.- Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia Innova FVG Presidente Michele Morgante Referente progettuale Nicoletta Ermacora Rete Filiera Legno FVG Consorzio Boschi Carnici Presidente Luigi Cacitti Comune di Sappada Manuel Piller Hoffer AIBO FVG Presidente Agostino Michielin Le aziende boschive.- Cigliani Albino e Mirco Arta Terme Agostinis Luigi s.r.l. Reana del Roiale Danta Legnami e Biomasse Verzegnis Del Fabbro Maurizio Forni Avoltri F.lli De Infanti
STEFANO BOERI
Stefano Boeri, born in 1956, is a Milan-based architect and since June 2011 he is Councillor for Culture, Design and Fashion for the Municipality of Milan. From 2004 to 2007 he was editor in chief of “Domus” international magazine. From 2007 to 2011 he was editor in chief of the international magazine “Abitare”. Professor of Urban Design at the Politecnico di Milano, he has taught as visiting professor at Harvard GSD, MIT, Berlage Institute and Architectural Association, among others. Since 2007 he is the director of the international festival of architecture FESTARCH. Recently he has curated “Sao Paulo Calling” a project about informal settlements, promoted by the Segretaria de Habitaçao of Sao Paulo.
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