HYBRID OPERA Orpheo & Lwanda
~ scenography, costumes, and the performative presence of avatars.
A hybrid opera prototype that includes an experimental VR Experience Opera Room alongside a physical performance. Concept and stage direction are by Carla Zanin, with music by conductor Federico Bardazzi. The production features vocal soloists, two live choirs, MIDI and physical instruments, immersive 360° sound and video scenography, two dancers, and one performer equipped with a Rokoko Smartsuit. It was created within the CAPHE project and staged on June 14th, 2024, at the Cattedrale dell’Immagine in Florence, Italy. “Orfeo & Lwanda: The Soul in Spiritual and Transcultural Traditions” is the result of participatory research conducted through the CAPHE project, focused on the creative process in hybrid environments. It also integrates AI tools curated by fashion designer Anna Syczewska, with a focus on scenography, costumes, and the performative presence of avatars. This hybrid creative process redefined myths, legends, roles, functions, and modes of representation.
Orpheo & Lwanda – The Soul in Spiritual and Transcultural Traditions
Kenyan singer Priscilla Gitonga portrayed Lwanda Magere, the African hero, both physically and virtually on the platform spatial.io. Their performances integrated immersive video projection and layered the virtual onto the physical, exploring the transformation of shared myths and legends that connect humanity across cultures through archetypes.
As part of the research and dissemination efforts aimed at virtual audiences, the Jagiellonian University in Kraków conducted an experimental live stream of the event within the VR space of Academia Electronica on the platform spatial.io.
During the design process, Lwanda’s costume was created in two stages: first, through a dedicated VR fashion design workflow — designing in a virtual reality designer’s studio — and second, through generative design using artificial intelligence algorithms.
Final project of Lwanda Merge costume
Lwanda Merge in virtual environment
Lwanda Merge in virtual environment
VR fashion design studio, snapshots