The project arises from the University Museum of Navarra’s intention to stage Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca. With complete creative freedom over the opera’s scenographic design, the project was developed through the lens of Italian Surrealism and Dadaism, using collage as a medium to capture the essence of the characters and events of the play.
The deconstruction of referential works, such as Alberto Giacometti’s expressive sculptures, Giorgio de Chirico’s structured paintings, and Man Ray’s evocative photography, shaped the visual language used to capture the atmosphere and emotional journeys of the characters.
Given the short timeframe and the stage’s dimensions and limitations, the opera was divided into three acts, each with two fully developed scenes combining music, props, projections, and lighting.
Set in Rome, the costume design was rooted in Italian decadence with surrealist elements, drawing inspiration from 90s Versace runway looks. Each character was assigned colours that reflected their inner turmoil and personality, shaping the material choices and silhouettes.
ACT 1 SCENE 1
Deictic objects (elements carrying symbolism, connotations, or double metaphorical meanings) are central to the prop design. In the first scene, the eyes change colour in reference to Tosca’s vanity and egocentrism, while the horse foreshadows Napoleon’s victory through its shift in posture from Act 1 to Act 2. The warm yellow lighting creates an inviting atmosphere before the opera’s turmoil begins, lulling the viewer into a false sense of security.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Similarly, the transition between the two scenes in the first act happens gradually, as the darkening background signals a warning while the plot thickens. The background projections move in jarring ways, making the church scenery increasingly unrecognisable.
The light is maintained until the final moment, when the changing blue of the eyes takes over the scene and creates a smooth transition into the next act.
ACT 2 SCENE 1
Here, the changing horse comes into play: its new position indicates Napoleon’s triumph rather than defeat, much like classical sculpture uses the horse to tell the rider’s story. Scarpia’s office and the prison are segmented by the moving staircase, while the warped, dangerous background is filled with dizzying surrealist imagery, complemented by purple lighting that symbolises betrayal.
ACT 2 SCENE 2
This scene marks the opera’s turning point, shown through the intensifying light and the dropping of the net, which hides Scarpia’s murder from both the audience and Tosca herself, as she cannot come to terms with what she has done.
At the moment of the killing, red thorns are projected onto the floor, visually tying into the third act while foreshadowing the dangers to come.
ACT 3 SCENE 1
Because of the lie at the centre of the narrative, the clouds, spirals, and doorway focal point allude to a fantasy world: the surreal dream the characters believe in before the bubble bursts. The deconstructed angel places us in the emblematic Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, while the presence of red signals danger, reinforced by the blood spatter on the floor after Cavaradossi’s execution.
ACT 3 SCENE 2
The chaotic transitions in the background projections reflect the confusion, uncertainty, and emotional disruption of the final act. As the death toll rises, the blood spatter expands, culminating in Tosca’s suicide. When she dies, the illusion of her brown eyes fades, revealing their true blue nature.
After completing the technical stage design, we developed a promotional poster to announce the opera’s arrival at the Museum’s theatre.
