The First European Games
The First European Games — Channelling physical transformation to orchestrate a natural spectacle.
- Project Type: Ceremony
- CLIENT: FiveCurrents
- LOCATION: Azerbaijan, Baku
- Year: 2015
Commission
As 68,000 spectators headed to Baku’s Olympic Stadium for the first ever European Games, Five Currents commissioned us to create a powerful and emotive centrepiece where the stage would be transformed into a wild meadow of grass and flowers. We worked with legendary creative director Dimitris Papaioannou to transform the stage like never before.
Response
Dimitris wanted to execute a poignant, performative moment: a lone actress walking across the stage followed by a growing meadow of flowers and grass.
The original plan was to use projection mapping, but we knew we could achieve something much more powerful with a truly organic realisation of the moment. We realigned the creative and designed a system that would transform the stage into a living, breathing ecosystem as the actress moved onstage.
This physical manifestation took the ceremony to a new level – conjuring the dynamic beauty of nature with a constantly evolving, captivating spectacle. Our belief in the limitless potential of tangible, analogue creations won through.
Grass path system installed into the stadium.
Stage scenic built out on kinetic mechanism.
Baku Stadium, Azerbaijan.
Live theatrical performance with lead performer.