“Maria Callas Eternal” curated by Kevin DeAngelis & hosted by Transient Labs x Foundation
Born on this day 100 years ago, Maria set the world alight with the passion and intensity of her Operatic performances. And on December 2nd, 2023 we announce our exhibition “Maria Callas Eternal” in collaboration with her estate ~ to find Maria in digital art, adapted from these unreleased recordings.
1607, Mantua Italy the first whisper of the word “Opus” was finding its way through the city and Monteverdi declared that the way to truly move and audience was to “Unite poetry and music”. Audiences flocked to see this collaboration of visual art, poetry, music, performance, set and costume ~ all the senses enticed and engaged in the story of human drama, myth and legend. Opera was born.
Though all these art forms (and most of the stories) existed before, never had the world seen them come together in this way. Much like this exhibition.
August 1942 in Athens ~ Maria Callas at the age of 18, made her professional operatic debut as in “Tosca” by Puccini. The audiences in wartime Greece needed something to believe in, to give them hope as they looked around a Europe devastated by WWII.
2023, as I walked the halls of the British Museum on a recent trip, listening to Maria’s “Medea” in my ears. A world in flux and a culture spreading its fingers and hands out from its marble shackles, as its restraints crumble to floor. I imagined the sculptures coming to life and the people around me all singing along with epic story. Their ghosts yearning for freedom. Then I felt amongst them, out of the shadows ~ I had found Maria’s ghost.
“Maria Callas Eternal ~ Ode to Maria” curated by Kevin DeAngelis exhibition opens on 12/14/23 ~ hosted by Transient Labs x Foundation