We were asked to do the scenography (stage set design) for the San Carlo Theatre (established 1737) in Naples, which is known as the oldest opera house in the world. This was for the opera called “Simon Boccanegra” by Giuseppe Verdi. This is not as famous as La traviata or Aida, but when you read the script, it becomes apparent that it provides a unique theme when thinking about the age of crisis that is today, and I became more and more absorbed.

It received bad reviews at the time of its premiere (1857), but Verdi had strong feelings for this play, and in the twilight years of his life, he projected it onto his own life, and put on the opera again (1881) after changing the script, which was a great success, and this episode attracted my interest. The fact that it received bad reviews is something that transcends that time, entails a spirit that criticizes that age, and I have the habit of feeling strong sympathy for things that are revived in spite of bad reviews. This is related to the fact that my architecture has often been viewed in this manner. For example, with opera, I am attracted to Carmen for this reason.

The designer Arnish Kapoor has also designed scenography for “Simon Boccanegra”, which was performed at the Hong Kong Cultural Center and in Tokyo. For some reason, this opera has a presence that attracts people in this difficult age in which we live.

In a word, this consists of the theme known as reconciliation. In “Simon Boccanegra”, life started from zero, many things were lost during fighting, injuries were sustained, but in the end, reconciliation was achieved. In the age in which we live where many things are lost due to wars and epidemics, and many people are injured, an important theme is how to achieve reconciliation. Our age wants to find a hint to reaching this goal in Simon, as have all people who sympathize with him.

While Anish’s scenography extensively used dark red, I focused on the use of white in Naples. White is a color that sharply changes depending upon the light. Therefore, an infinite number of holes were opened in the material instead of using a solid volume. In addition, the semi-transparent membrane was folded around and around, incorporating many layers. This resulted in various shades of white being felt depending upon the changes in light, generating changes in the depth, flow and depth of darkness.

This is the impression I got from the life of Simon. His life as a sailor in which he continued to be tossed around by the waves on the ocean overlaps with the image of the wrinkled membrane which was folded around and around.

I also received inspirations from the stone statue called Veiled Christ at the Sansevero Chapel in Naples. The white cloth covering Christ is represented by rippling white marble, and the holiness of Christ is expressed with those white waves.

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The people of Naples have a sense that holiness is a wave that continues to change, rather than being a solid volume or form, and this is the actual feeling that I have with regards to Simon. I wanted to relay and retain this feeling through this stage set made of fabric.