The Space as Spectacle: Edward Gordon Craig

Edward Gordon Craig (Stevenage, England, 1872–Vence, France, 1966) was a complex character who devoted his life to the theatre in its various facets, working as an actor, set designer, critic and theorist. The exhibition The Space as Spectacle offers audiences a chance to observe his working process and experience some of his innovative discoveries in stage design.

In a 1953 BBC recording in which he discussed stage lighting, Craig said, "Now, in my opinion, we must stop, forget everything and take a long, hard, close look at nature." This simple invitation was the premise of his revolutionary ideas, from his first projects in the early years of the 20th century. Craig's intent observation of nature allowed him to move past illusionistic theatre and pave the way to a new concept of the stage as a total work of art. This vision, combined with his ability to assimilate and synthesise diverse influences, has made his work a benchmark in the field.

The exhibition allows visitors to venture onto a stage where space itself operates as a phenomenon and the main characters are distances, directions and boundaries. Craig's art thus stems from the combination of both phenomena: text and space.