Setting the Scene

In the context of Corin Sworn’s installation for the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, Eisler Curator Daniel F. Herrmann, and Simon Donger, Course Leader of Scenography at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, discuss theatricality in contemporary art and stage design.  Sworn’s film and installation works are often created through a mesh of fragmented references, suggested memories and oral histories. Her winning proposal for the Max Mara Art Prize for Women draws from the rich history and elaborate costumes of the Commedia dell’Arte, reviving the improvised theatrical comedies performed by acting troupes touring Italy from the 16th century onwards.