«Here is my secret; it is very simple: pay close attention with only your heart. You cannot see what is most important with your eyes alone.»
A performance inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s «The Little Prince, ” set in the space of the former Minsk-1 Airport.
Background:
In 2023, I had the privilege of designing the staging for the graduation performance of a Franco-Belarusian acting theater troupe—"Zorko, Only the Heart.» Every decision was dictated by the conditions: maximally concise and simple. They seem as straightforward as the truths in «The Little Prince.» However, since then, their quiet clarity and depth have lodged in my heart, and I often return to them in my thoughts—so they have become my own personal, sky-defying stars.
At the core of the directorial vision is a simple thought: everyone was once a child, yet few people remember that.
A little ambitious kid surely made up exaggerated faces in front of the mirror; as a child, the businessman played Monopoly better than anyone with buttons as currency; the lamplighter caught fireflies in a matchbox; the little king strode around on stools in his mother’s burgundy robe, blowing soap bubbles on the fly; and the little geographer dreamed of a real, spinning globe.
«All adults were once children—only few remember that.»
In the process of conceptualizing and developing the visual identity for the performance, I discovered and learned a great deal about myself, and, naturally, like any child, I dreamed extensively. One such flight of imagination involved creating a website-specific scenography set in the old airport of my hometown.
Concept
Minsk-1 Airfield, 1960s
View from the runways and from the main entrance
«Minsk-1» is the first civilian airport to appear in Belarus in 1933 and is located close to the city center. The last plane flew a technical flight from the airfield on June 28, 2018. The area adjacent to the former runways is entirely built up with residential quarters, and the main building is preserved as an architectural monument. The facility is used for offices, and an inscription on the facade reminds visitors of its former purpose.
Contemporary style
The core concept of the scenography is a rotating playground, where a children’s slide has morphed into a snake-shaped hat, getting lost in dune-climbing walls. Swings hang amidst clouds of dust, and instead of a real airplane, there is a large «paper» airplane.
By utilizing the foyer space, the waiting area transforms into a viewing gallery where everyone can reflect on their journey so far and the paths ahead.
View of the foyer from inside
site mockup sketch
Storyboard
Forced Landing
Costumes
All inhabitants of planets share one thing in common: they are solitary—alone on their worlds. Yet, despite their outward preoccupation with themselves, they all seek companionship and understanding, but due to their awkwardness, they pursue it in very strange ways.
This mismatch—in the disproportionate and asymmetrical «adult» desert-toned suits—is a unique uniform, adorned with «doodles» matching each character.
Identity