As Big As The Sky

As Big As The Sky is the latest multimedia opera by Dutch composer and director Arnoud Noordegraaf, inspired by the Chinese dream – and dreams that collide with reality. The new production had its world premiere at the Holland Festival in Amsterdam. The inventive stage design and film projections are from the hand of Ai Weiwei, China’s most famous contemporary artist.

The opera is set against the backdrop of China's unprecedented building boom. An impressive custom-made dome in StretchTulle by ShowTex arches over the stage. A small hole in the very top of the roof turns the dome into a gigantic camera obscura.

Ai Weiwei's film projections play an important role in the depiction of the contrast between two conflicting worlds in which the opera unfolds. His stage design merges seamlessly with projections of architectural plans, video conferences, twitter feeds, television news and documentary footage of the rapidly changing Chinese landscape.