civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by catarina botello

 

 

 

mexican architect frida escobedo designed this interactive, pivoted stage the lisbon triennial 2013. the structure which has a metal structure with a wooden surface, was built in mexico and shipped to portugal for the event. frida told us more about the project in a recent interview – ‘josé esparza chong cuy, one of the triennial curators invited me to propose a podium or stage that explores themes of participation and hierarchy. our solution was a round pivoted stage that was situated in one of the city’s main plazas. the more the audience grows the higher the performer rises (up to 1.5m) – the stage amplifies the civic gesture.’

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by delfino legnani

 

 

 

‘in real life as in theater, acting is a prerequisite. and yet, somehow, the creative freedom provided by performing on stage is somehow tamed down when acted out in real life. it is this condition of fiction — the reading of a theatrical performance as a moment detached from reality —, which allows for theatrical experiments to be so radically groundbreaking. but understanding that theater is as real as life, and acknowledging that the language it uses to communicate — visually, audibly, emotionally — with an audience, is the same language we use to understand each other in reality, why isn’t real life the stage where we can act out our desires?’

 

‘what happens if a real-life public stage, a civic stage, is suddenly unveiled in our cities? what would happen if we re-frame the tamed reality of public space into a theatrical site of exchange were can collectively perform our aspirations? would fiction become real life and vice versa?’ – lisbon triennial 2013

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
the height of the pivoted structure alters depending on the number of performers and audience members there are

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by imagen subliminal

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by imagen subliminal

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by francisca benitez

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
photo by delfino legnani

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
the stage structure in lisbon

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
stage structure being built

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
model

civic stage by frida escobedo at the lisbon triennial
drawing

 

 

 

project info:

 

architect: frida escobedo
curator: josé esparza chong cuy
participants: andrés jaque, artéria, daniel fernández pascual , estudio sic , fernando garcía-dory, francisca benítez, noura alsayeh, pelin tan, teatro praga, unipop, victoria bugge øye