Marco Balich, a director of more than 20 opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic, Paralympic and Winter Olympic Games, has turned his creative mind towards the world of attractions, creating a stunning immersive experience allowing visitors to step inside the works of Michelangelo.
Debuted in Rome, Italy, earlier this year, Giudizio Universale: Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel features an all star line up, with voice acting headlined by Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon and Italian movie star Pierfrancesco Favino.
The musical score for the dramatic piece was composed by British rock star Sting.
Starting in the 16th century with Michelangelo’s famous sculpture David, viewers are taken back in time to the quarries of Carrara on the hunt for the perfect piece of marble, which was used to carve the Renaissance masterpiece.
Continuing through his professional life and work, the experience explores the story behind Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling, which forms inside the theatre in front of visitor’s eyes.
“With Giudizio Universale, we wanted to create a completely new kind of show, in which the genesis of a masterpiece of universal art is narrated, by mixing all the languages that the world of live entertainment has today,” says Balich. “And we do all this in the most rigorous respect of the work of Michelangelo.”
Balich has a rich portfolio, with his expertise in producing large-scale events applauded worldwide. In addition to his work on the Olympics, he was artistic director of the Italian Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo. He was recognised with an Emmy Award for his work on the Olympics and has received special acknowledgement from the president of Italy, so with such pedigree, it’s no surprise that the Vatican agreed to support the project.
The city-state surrounded by Rome, which is the home of the Pope and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, donated high resolution imagery of the Sistine Chapel at a reduced rate to Balich, also offering scientific and historical advice to ensure Giudizio Universale’s accuracy.
“This project was born and has grown thanks to the support and trust of the Vatican Museums,” says Balich.
“To fulfil this trust we wanted the world’s greatest talents in the entertainment industry that we were able to involve thanks to the experience accumulated in years of great ceremonies. Those events taught us to inject into our creations the two most important ingredients for a successful show – emotion and authenticity.”
Giudizio Universale has been made possible by a private investment of €9m (US$10.4m). The immersive show takes place inside Rome’s former symphony hall – the Auditorium Conciliazione – which sees Michelangelo’s work projected across its walls, ceilings and stage, with dancers and actors also featured to tell the story. The show lasts an hour.
“Using the work of a lifetime to tell the story of a world heritage site as significant as the Sistine Chapel was a privilege and a huge responsibility,” says Balich.
“We like to think that the spectators who will come to see Giudizio Universale – especially the younger ones – can leave the Auditorium Conciliazione inspired by a renewed awareness: there is nothing more exciting than the beauty of art.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 4
Rides: Themed dreams
We take a look at some of the major
openings at visitor attractions worldwide
Theme Parks: Fan power
Jordan Middleton explains how operators
can best work with their audiences
Tourism: The Tourist Trap
What role could attractions play to keep
tourism beneficial for residents and
visitors alike? Kath Hudson reports
Conference: Creativity Cocktail
This year’s SATE conference came to the global epicentre for themed entertainment – Orlando – as the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) searched for the secrets to “The Experience Recipe”.
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater is branching out of the waterpark business as it
introduces two new attractions products and its brand new
Vantage guest engagement and management software
Show report: Enabling fun
Tom Anstey was on-hand to see what was
on offer at this year’s Euro Attractions Show
Promotional feature: Simtec - forward thinking
Simtec is a flying theatre and simulator ride supplier
for the attractions industry, as well as a manufacturer
of driving and flight simulation applications
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Marco Balich, a director of more than 20 opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic, Paralympic and Winter Olympic Games, has turned his creative mind towards the world of attractions, creating a stunning immersive experience allowing visitors to step inside the works of Michelangelo.
Debuted in Rome, Italy, earlier this year, Giudizio Universale: Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel features an all star line up, with voice acting headlined by Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon and Italian movie star Pierfrancesco Favino.
The musical score for the dramatic piece was composed by British rock star Sting.
Starting in the 16th century with Michelangelo’s famous sculpture David, viewers are taken back in time to the quarries of Carrara on the hunt for the perfect piece of marble, which was used to carve the Renaissance masterpiece.
Continuing through his professional life and work, the experience explores the story behind Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling, which forms inside the theatre in front of visitor’s eyes.
“With Giudizio Universale, we wanted to create a completely new kind of show, in which the genesis of a masterpiece of universal art is narrated, by mixing all the languages that the world of live entertainment has today,” says Balich. “And we do all this in the most rigorous respect of the work of Michelangelo.”
Balich has a rich portfolio, with his expertise in producing large-scale events applauded worldwide. In addition to his work on the Olympics, he was artistic director of the Italian Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo. He was recognised with an Emmy Award for his work on the Olympics and has received special acknowledgement from the president of Italy, so with such pedigree, it’s no surprise that the Vatican agreed to support the project.
The city-state surrounded by Rome, which is the home of the Pope and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, donated high resolution imagery of the Sistine Chapel at a reduced rate to Balich, also offering scientific and historical advice to ensure Giudizio Universale’s accuracy.
“This project was born and has grown thanks to the support and trust of the Vatican Museums,” says Balich.
“To fulfil this trust we wanted the world’s greatest talents in the entertainment industry that we were able to involve thanks to the experience accumulated in years of great ceremonies. Those events taught us to inject into our creations the two most important ingredients for a successful show – emotion and authenticity.”
Giudizio Universale has been made possible by a private investment of €9m (US$10.4m). The immersive show takes place inside Rome’s former symphony hall – the Auditorium Conciliazione – which sees Michelangelo’s work projected across its walls, ceilings and stage, with dancers and actors also featured to tell the story. The show lasts an hour.
“Using the work of a lifetime to tell the story of a world heritage site as significant as the Sistine Chapel was a privilege and a huge responsibility,” says Balich.
“We like to think that the spectators who will come to see Giudizio Universale – especially the younger ones – can leave the Auditorium Conciliazione inspired by a renewed awareness: there is nothing more exciting than the beauty of art.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 4
Rides: Themed dreams
We take a look at some of the major
openings at visitor attractions worldwide
Theme Parks: Fan power
Jordan Middleton explains how operators
can best work with their audiences
Tourism: The Tourist Trap
What role could attractions play to keep
tourism beneficial for residents and
visitors alike? Kath Hudson reports
Conference: Creativity Cocktail
This year’s SATE conference came to the global epicentre for themed entertainment – Orlando – as the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) searched for the secrets to “The Experience Recipe”.
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater is branching out of the waterpark business as it
introduces two new attractions products and its brand new
Vantage guest engagement and management software
Show report: Enabling fun
Tom Anstey was on-hand to see what was
on offer at this year’s Euro Attractions Show
Promotional feature: Simtec - forward thinking
Simtec is a flying theatre and simulator ride supplier
for the attractions industry, as well as a manufacturer
of driving and flight simulation applications
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
Royal Caribbean has revealed its Hero of the Seas cruise ship, home to the most pools at sea
(nine), and a record-breaking 28 dining venues, as well as attractions including a waterpark
with two new family raft slides.
+ More news
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An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
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