Costumes born for the movies can finally transform into the protagonist! The art piece “Dear Pasolini” will be performed in Taiwan, reinterpreting the legendary costumes of the film in a unique way to feel the soul of the movie, and delicately performed by the famous Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton.
When mentioning Tilda Swinton, one might think of the Ancient One in Marvel stories, or her ethereal, elegant, and androgynous image and aura. But whether as an individual, performer, or filmmaker, she possesses a fearless spirit, strong personal charm and talent. In addition to being a recipient of the Oscar and Venice Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards, she has also been hailed by The New York Times as “the greatest actress of the 21st century.”
The performance in Taiwan this time is a work called “Embodying Pasolini”, by the famous director, poet, and fashion historian Olivier Saillard.
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“Embodying Pasolini”
The work combines elements of film, fashion, and history, paying tribute to the most influential and controversial Italian film director and poet of the 20th century – Pasolini, and interpreted by Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard in the form of performance art.
Pier Paolo Pasolini has a total of twelve feature films, and has won awards from the Berlin Golden Bear, Cannes, Venice and other major film festivals, affirming the artistic value and ability of his work, and earning the admiration of the public and film critics. Taking “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” and “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom” as examples, his works not only demonstrate high artistic achievement, but also openly criticize the social moral values and censorship system of the time, prompting reflection. In the past, there have also been films that presented his controversial life.
And this time, the two of them reinterpreted 30 highly influential costume designs seen in movies on stage, such as: “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom”, “One Thousand and One Nights”, “The Canterbury Tales”, “The Decameron”, “The Gospel According to St. Matthew”, “The Hawk and the Sparrow”, “Oedipus Rex”, “Pigsty” and other classic films; and the costumes worn in the performance were specially designed by Danilo Donati, who has twice won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, turning the costumes from movie props into the main characters.
Danilo Donati has also created many well-known costumes in the past, including “Life is Beautiful”, “Oedipus Rex”, “Romeo and Juliet”, etc. His boldness and innovation often bring unique and unforgettable effects to the audience, such as three-dimensional structural drooping shoulder flower bud sleeves, using different materials and colors for splicing, designing with a unique style, and stunning people!
“Costumes are the ultimate expression of clothing, each piece created solely for a film. But our idea is to analyze what the costumes can still offer, or not offer, after the movie ends.” – Olivier Saillard
So in this performance, it all comes down to Tilda Swinton having a dialogue with the soul of fashion, and then she reloads the clothing on herself, revealing to everyone the different possibilities and aspects of clothing. Therefore, Tilda Swinton also had a new feeling in the interaction process: “When touching the clothing worn by Pasolini himself in ‘The Canterbury Tales’, you can still feel its trembling; when talking about the costumes in ‘Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom’, everyone will feel an exciting and dangerous feeling.”
The work has previously been performed in Italy, France, and Greece, sparking enthusiastic responses. This is the only performance of the work in Asia, and it is also Tilda Swinton’s debut in Asia, which is truly highly anticipated!
