Artist Tauba Auerbach illuminates Wayne McGregor’s new ballet at the Royal Opera House in London

Three ballet dancers on stage in different coloured trousers — American artist Tauba Auerbach has teamed up with choreographer Wayne McGregor to create the costume and set designs for 'Tetractys - The Art of Fugue', his latest production at the Royal Opera House in London. © ROH / Johan Persson, 2014

(Image credit: TBC)

Choreographer Wayne McGregor has long drawn strength from the creative partnerships he forges outside the sphere of dance, with former collaborators numbering architect John Pawson and artist Julian Opie. For his new production at the Royal Opera House in London, ‘Tetractys – The Art of Fugue’, based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s final musical work, he turned to American artist Tauba Auerbach to create the striking set and costume designs.

Best known for her paintings, the New York-based artist – and Wallpaper* Handmade collaborator – has long been fascinated by the principles of mathematics, physics, language and semiotics. Having formally trained as a traditional sign painter, Auerbach devised a series of illuminated geometric glyphs for McGregor’s latest production, her first ever foray into ballet.

‘Designing the sets and costumes for Tetractys was a steep learning curve - I’m used to making sculptures that you can walk around and see from every angle,’ says Auerbach. ‘Here I needed to create a 3-D work that was still compelling from every angle, but that would be visible from only one angle for each person in the audience. Each person’s vantage point would be different but equally important.’

Using numerology and geometry as the springboard for their creative venture, McGregor and Auerbach were mutually drawn to Bach’s The Art of Fugue (it is rumoured that the German composer infused the score with musical codes, such as weaving his name into the final stanza, just before its strange and abrupt ending). The ballet is divided into seven sections, each featuring one of Auerbach’s glyphs, which are infused with their own symbolism and codes.

Composer Michael Berkeley’s orchestral adaptation of the score was equally influential on Auerbach’s designs. ‘I have a habit of thinking about things in a very graphic and linear way and the insight I got from his arrangement was the way he dealt with the music as a set of swelling volumes,’ explains the artist. ‘I wanted to incorporate that way of reading the music into visuals as well.’ To wit, Auerbach complements the fluid musical arrangement with colour gradation in the costumes, reflected also in the ever-changing patterns of her glyphs.

Supported by Outset, ‘Tectractys – The Art of Fugue’ is being shown as part of a triple bill at the Royal Opera House, alongside Frederick Ashton’s classically romantic ‘Rhapsody’ and Kenneth MacMillan’s harrowing ‘Gloria’, a poignant tribute to the generation lost in World War I. Elsewhere in London, Auerbach will celebrate her first UK solo museum show (opening 15 April at the ICA) with a new series of photographs and sculptures inspired by symmetry and reflection.

Male ballet dancer on black stage wearing two tone blue unitard — Having formally trained as a traditional sign painter, Auerbach responded to the geometry she heard in Bach's score with a striking series of illuminated glyphs. *© ROH / Johan Persson, 2014*

Black background with light displays on — Echoing the musical score is a highly conceptual and considered geometric scheme designed by the artist. The 'subject glyph' (far left) forms the basis to the series; Auerbach responded to the structure of the music, scaling, inverting and expanding it to the form the other glyphs. *© ROH / Johan Persson, 2014*

Male and female ballet dancers doing a duet on stage wearing blue and yellow unitards — The ballet is divided into seven sections, each featuring one of Auerbach’s glyphs, which respond to the music. *© ROH / Johan Persson, 2014*

Female ballet dancer in black and white unitard dancing on stage — One of Auerbach's bold costume designs. *© ROH / Johan Persson, 2014*

Male dancer doing a solo on stage in purple unitard — Auerbach complements the fluid musical arrangement with subtle colour gradations in the costumes. © ROH / Johan Persson, 2014

Group of dancers on stage — Choreographer Wayne McGregor has a long and memorable history of creative partnerships. His 2006 production for the Royal Ballet, 'Chroma', featured a stark, minimalist set by architect John Pawson. *Photography: Bill Cooper / ROH*

Female dancer doing a solo on stage — 'Chroma', 2006, with set design by John Pawson. *Photography: Bill Cooper / ROH*

Six different male and females on stage dancing duets — In 2008, he teamed up with artist Julian Opie for 'Infra', 2008, also for the Royal Ballet. *Photography: Bill Cooper / ROH*

Black silhouette of male and female duet — McGregor has collaborated several times with interactive designers Random International. For his 2010 production of Far at Sadler's Wells, the UK-based practice devised a giant, pulsating screen of light with an ever-changing pattern. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

Male and female dancer doing a duet on stage — Far, 2010, with set design by Random International. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

Male and female dancing a duet on stage — Far, 2010, with set design by Random International. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

Male and female stood mirroring each other — McGregor teamed up with Random International again in 2012, creating a performance based around its 'Future Self' installation at Berlin's MADE Gallery. *Courtesy of Random International*

Male doing a dance solo — 'Future Self', 2012, with set design by Random International. *Courtesy of Random International*

Silhouette of man dancing a solo — 'Future Self', 2012, with set design by Random International. *Courtesy of Random International*

Silhouette of two people dancing a duet — Dancers from Wayne McGregor | Random Dance inhabited Random International's 'Rain Room' installation, 2012, in the Barbican's Curve gallery, performing continuously evolving interventions, with a score by contemporary composer Max Richter. Photography: Sidd Khajuria

Male and female silhouette doing a lift — 'Rain Room' by Random International, with interventions by Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, at the Barbican, London, 2012. Photography: Sidd Khajuria

Blurry photo of people dancing in the rain room — 'Rain Room' by Random International, with interventions by Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, at the Barbican, London, 2012. Photography: Sidd Khajuria

Three dancers practicing on stage — 'Azimuth', 2013, saw Wayne McGregor | Random Dance choreograph a performance to correspond with Conrad Shawcross’ 'Timepiece' installation at Roundhouse in London. Photography: Ravi Deepres and Alicia Clarke

Male dancer doing a solo with red lighting — 'Atomos', 2013, is McGregor’s production with his company, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, with video by Ravi Deepres and costumes by innovative designers-cum-technologists Studio XO. Watch the collaborative process between McGregor and Studio XO unfold in this film. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

Male and female doing a duet on stage with black and red lights — 'Atomos', 2013, with video by Ravi Deepres and costumes by Studio XO. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

Group of male and female dancers on stage — 'Atomos', 2013, with video by Ravi Deepres and costumes by Studio XO. *Photography: Ravi Deepres*

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