The doubleA foundation develops innovative music theatre in the form of international co-productions which stretch the art form’s boundaries.
Current projects
From Dust
Explore the boundaries of reality and identity in From Dust, a groundbreaking Virtual Reality opera installation composed and directed by Michel van der Aa, performed by the enchanting vocal ensemble Sjaella, and produced by doubleA. In From Dust, the main character leads you through a dreamy universe of impossible spaces and optical illusions. You feel seen as the hologram makes eye contact, responds to your movements, and anticipates your touch. You help shape the story, making it a tailored experience, cinematic and interactive.
The music is the starting point for the experience and forms the beating heart that provides the work with a dramaturgical arc. The libretto is composed by Michel van der Aa and dramaturg Madelon Kooijman, based on poems and texts by Fernando Pessoa, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Walt Whitman, Jorge Luis Borges, and Ingrid Jonker.
With From Dust, doubleA again produces a genre-crossing work, in collaboration with international presenters and co-producers. From Dust transcends the boundaries of traditional opera and takes you to the forefront of immersive storytelling and personalized art.
Previous projects
The Book of Water
A chamber music theatre work for actor, string quartet, and film based upon the novella Man in the Holocene by Max Frisch. The work was premiered at the Venice Biennale 2022, and further performances were planned throughout season 2022/23 and 2023/24. The performances featured actors Samuel West and Timothy West (film).
Touched by a hologram?
What would it take to really connect to a 3D hologram in a virtual space? Would you feel seen if the hologram makes eye contact, reacts to your movements, anticipates your touch?
The doubleA foundation created new artistic and technical tools for interacting with an audience in a virtual space. We researched and designed these interactions from a creator’s point of view; with artist-driven ideas, and streamlined for the performing arts. We collaborated with national and international partners, and a team of top-notch freelancers: director, developers, dramaturg, producers, musicians, actor, marketing manager, web designer, and director of photography.
Touched by a hologram was support by InnovatieLabs.
We’ve created an online resource with our findings: touchedbyhologram.net
Eight
A virtual reality installation featuring singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke and the Nederlands Kamerkoor. In collaboration with designer Theun Mosk and virtual reality company The Virtual Dutch Men, van der Aa has created a unique groundbreaking fusion of musical theatre, VR and visual art.
“Eight” was commissioned by the Holland Festival, Festival International d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence, Château La Coste, Beijing Music Festival, KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen, and Helsinki Festival.
Upload
The 2021/22 season saw the world premiere of Michel’s new film opera Upload. What if our minds could live forever? It sounds like science fiction, but in the not-all-too-distant future, it will be possible to transfer our memories, thoughts and experiences to an artificial brain. A utopia for some; it means we can exist forever and that our loved ones would never have to miss us. But what are the consequences for our humanity, our identity and for our relationships? “Upload” explores these ancient philosophical questions against the backdrop of present-day and near-future technologies.”
Commissioned by Dutch National Opera, Park Avenue Armory, Oper Köln, Bregenzer Festspiele and Ensemble MusikFabrik and features live performances by Julia Bullock and Roderick Williams.