Neue Pilgrimage

2022

Installation & performance at the Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin

Professor Vincent Sansalone

The Neue Nationalgalerie is located in Berlin, Germany and designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The building operates as a museum and the architecture was inspired by classical Greek temples.

For the performance I pushed the notion that the fundamental purpose of a museum is to bring people together and to immerse them in works of art. The classical temples, pyramids, and churches share this concept of gathering for a central purpose. Neue Pilgrimage: A Play with Light draws on this idea of the journey by following in the steps of Octavio Paz throughout the museum.

Octavio Paz, a Mexican diplomat and writer, performs a contemporary ballet under the inverted Chichen Itza while surrounded by the stanidng crowd. The performance starts with Paz remembering his childhood and his thoughts on time and space. He then embarks on a journey through ten stories, experienced through his point of view. The show ends with a projection mapping of the sacred cenote and Paz diving in while the inverted pyramid opens to reveal a light show. This display symbolizes his journey of self-discovery and resilience.

The exhibit will utilize a mixture of 2D projection mapping, vertical and stage LED screens to enhance the contemporary ballet performance, as the crowd follows Paz from installation to installation. The architecture of the museum will heavily influence each stage and the story being told to the audience as they journey from light to light.