La Biennale di Venezia, to celebrate the 1600^th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Venice, for Carnival, will present a special project by the Historical Archives (ASAC): Archèus. Labirinto Mozart, an immersive installation by Ophicina and Damiano Michieletto, produced in collaboration with the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. It will be on display at Forte Marghera, Building 29 (Venezia Mestre) from 18 February to 5 June 2022 (free admission, reservation required).

The Archèus project is based on a fusion of artistic codes, in which the musical theatre of Mozart’s The Magic Flute meets contemporary aesthetic forms. In Archèus, the characteristics of the installation – in which participants are immersed in an environment conceived to stimulate perception ­– borrow the multimedia quality of lyric opera and the narrative structure of a fairy tale, inviting the public to participate in a sort of transformation with the characters.

The path to discover and transform the point of view will unwind through five rooms connected by five dark tunnels: a labyrinth pattern that leads to a reversal of perspectives.
The Magic Flute indeed unfurls as a journey of initiation undertaken by Tamino (as well as Pamina and the helper Papageno). The protagonist of Mozart’s opera experiences a transition from darkness (initially confused with the truth) to the light of solar wisdom, in which the night is recognized as a force that divides and destroys. A similar perceptual metamorphosis will be offered to Archèus’ audience, as new Taminos.

Archèus enjoys funding from the Ministero della Cultura, Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea.

At Forte Marghera (Venezia Mestre), 18 February > 5 June 2022. Free admission, reservation required.