For the new production of Richard Wagner's opera "Lohengrin", the Bayreuth Festival secured the support of artist couple Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch in 2018. Costumes and stage sets for the production by Yuval Sharon will be on display at the Neo Rauch Graphic Arts Foundation in Aschersleben from this Saturday until April 27 in its annual exhibition "Bläue".
The works for Bayreuth, designed with plenty of blue, take up a statement by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900). "Blue, with an opiate, narcotic effect" is how the philosopher described the sometimes spherical soundscapes in "Lohengrin". Loy and Rauch created the later award-winning stage design and costumes with the help of conductor Christian Thielemann, who also conducted the work in 2018.
The artistic paths of Rosa Loy, who was born in Zwickau in 1958, and Neo Rauch, who is two years younger, are closely linked: Both have been working in Leipzig for more than 35 years and both studied there at the Academy of Visual Arts. They also frequently exhibit their work together.
