We are very happy to announce that the virtual reality opera From Dust by Michel van der Aa will premiere on December 3 in Rotterdam. You can find all dates here.
Synopsis:
Step into a realm where reality blurs and identity shifts. In From Dust, we — the vocal ensemble Sjaella — invite you into an experience unlike any other, a virtual reality opera crafted uniquely by and for you, powered by AI. This groundbreaking work, composed and directed by Michel van der Aa, merges technology and art to bring you closer to the essence of human connection.
Imagine: you enter a dark, mysterious space. Before you, a cloud of shimmering particles swirls, moving as if alive, like a flock of starlings in flight. With a simple gesture, you reach out, and the particles respond, transforming into the figure of a woman. As you interact with her, she begins to shift, and suddenly another version of her emerges. Both figures gaze deeply into your eyes, and then — together — they begin to sing. Let our voices guide you on this journey, where boundaries dissolve and the self transforms.
Are you a spectator or a participant in this world?
During this 24-minute journey, each audience-of-one will take part in a personalized story. Through interacting with their surroundings, the audience will meet the protagonist and her five alter egos, performed by the six members of vocal ensemble Sjaella. The audiences themselves are the ones who create new worlds by walking through and touching the installation, bringing the various alter egos to life.
This multi-sensory experience will be tailored for each audience member with generative AI. As a co-creator, you are the counterpart of the main character. You do not just passively watch but actively shape your own story. (All personal data and images are destroyed on completion of the experience.)
Van der Aa has made a career of integrating music and theatre with cutting-edge video and sound technology. His VR installation Eight garnered a headline in the New York Times, “A Breakthrough for Virtual Reality in Classical Music”. From Dust builds on these groundbreaking achievements, and will tell its story through music, live interaction and immersive visuals.
