Burberry designer Riccardo Tisci collaborates with Marina Abramović for the costume design on her opera ‘7 Deaths of Maria Callas’.

The music theater work made with Serbian composer Marko Nikodijević will be presented in Paris at Opéra Garnier from September 1 to 4, after its world premiere at the Bavarian State Opera last year in Munich, Germany. The creative director and the singer’s collaboration is first of all born from a friendship, they shared and exchanged ideas through all the creative process, making the costume part of the artistic performance.

‘I am a romantic dreamer at my core, so this was a very easy project to get involved with. The subject is one of love in all its  forms, from the light to the dark. Marina is one of my great personal loves and I feel privileged to call her my friend and my  family. She is one of the world’s most daring and brave artists, and it’s an incredible honour to collaborate with her once again  on a subject that is so close to both of our hearts.’  

Riccardo Tisci

‘I have wanted to make ‘7 Deaths’ for 30 years. To die from a broken heart is the thread which draws together each opera in a  project which is centred around love and its forms, as much as my relationship with Riccardo. When the opportunity for this  project started to become real, there was no other team I wanted to work with: Riccardo had to make all the costumes because  we are love, he is fashion and I am art, two worlds that cross over in a creative dialogue of love, respect and freedom. I am so  proud of this work as a team and grateful to Riccardo for teaching me how to be elegant and confident as a woman in my life  and in my performances.’  

Marina Abramović 

Photographs by Marco Anelli