Unrealized design created in 2014.
This design is set in present day. I approached the stories that Hoffman tells in the Tales of Hoffman as if he were retelling dreams that he has had. As Hoffman tells his stories, the worlds become more and more abstract and dreamlike and the women themselves become more real.
Act 1 is the dream of Olympia, the automaton girl. Olympia is literally a robot, she is not a real human at all. In this act, Hoffman is falling in love with the ideal of a woman rather than an actual woman. I used a very common non-human feminine ideal, Barbie, to serve as the inspiration for Olympia. Spalazani has created this robot and is introducing her to the world. I blended the idea of a fashion runway with a big stage expo show, putting her on display as a woman and as a robot. A long white runway takes center stage while flanked by glass cases containing Spalazani’s previous attempts at robotics that grow more and more sophisticated until he achieved Olympia. I included the rough pedestals and cables for the previous attempts to give a nod to the mad scientist that Spalazani is.
Act 2 features Guiliette, the courtesan that steals Hoffman’s soul. Guiliette brings the sexual woman into play. I styled Guiliette as a super model in appearance, as aloof and untouchable as an advertisement. She is a real woman this time, but just as unattainable for Hoffman as Olympia. The setting includes real elements (pools, baths, showers, stairs) but these elements are almost floating in space. The environment is a sensual atmosphere of a bath house but suspended in a sea of stars.
Act 3 brings us to the most unrealistic setting but the most realistic woman, Antonia. Antonia represents a romantic love with a real, attainable woman and all the hope, beauty, and potential for life that brings. The set is dominated by a gigantic flower in full bloom. The sheer scale of this huge, climbable bloom adds to the dreamlike surreal quality while still creating a soft atmosphere for love.
This design is set in present day. I approached the stories that Hoffman tells in the Tales of Hoffman as if he were retelling dreams that he has had. As Hoffman tells his stories, the worlds become more and more abstract and dreamlike and the women themselves become more real.
Act 1 is the dream of Olympia, the automaton girl. Olympia is literally a robot, she is not a real human at all. In this act, Hoffman is falling in love with the ideal of a woman rather than an actual woman. I used a very common non-human feminine ideal, Barbie, to serve as the inspiration for Olympia. Spalazani has created this robot and is introducing her to the world. I blended the idea of a fashion runway with a big stage expo show, putting her on display as a woman and as a robot. A long white runway takes center stage while flanked by glass cases containing Spalazani’s previous attempts at robotics that grow more and more sophisticated until he achieved Olympia. I included the rough pedestals and cables for the previous attempts to give a nod to the mad scientist that Spalazani is.
Act 2 features Guiliette, the courtesan that steals Hoffman’s soul. Guiliette brings the sexual woman into play. I styled Guiliette as a super model in appearance, as aloof and untouchable as an advertisement. She is a real woman this time, but just as unattainable for Hoffman as Olympia. The setting includes real elements (pools, baths, showers, stairs) but these elements are almost floating in space. The environment is a sensual atmosphere of a bath house but suspended in a sea of stars.
Act 3 brings us to the most unrealistic setting but the most realistic woman, Antonia. Antonia represents a romantic love with a real, attainable woman and all the hope, beauty, and potential for life that brings. The set is dominated by a gigantic flower in full bloom. The sheer scale of this huge, climbable bloom adds to the dreamlike surreal quality while still creating a soft atmosphere for love.
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© Sasha Augustine