La Traviata is a complete work of art: it is architecture, light, poetry, dance and movement. It is an imaginary scene that allows the observer to contemplate; the light evokes a calm that enhances the senses, making it easier to hear and perceive one’s surroundings. Wilson designed the product on stage with the same approach he uses in all of his expressive vehicles: the work is the fruit of “the reduction of the languages of words, gestures and behaviors to their basic grammars, to the minimal structure of their complexity”. The result is completely abstract and non-interpretive, leaving the on-looker the chance to freely associate their own, imaginative universe. Light is space, and without it, nothing would have the same dimension.
Robert Wilson (born October 4, 1941) is an American experimental theater stage director and playwright who has been described by The New York Times as the world's foremost avant-garde theater artist. Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video artist, and sound and lighting designer. Since the late 1960s, Robert Wilson's productions have decisively shaped the look of theater and opera. Through his signature use of light, his investigations into the structure of a simple movement, and the classical rigor of his scenic and furniture design, Wilson has continuously articulated the force and originality of his vision. Wilson's close ties and collaborations with leading artists, writers, and musicians continue to fascinate audiences worldwide. He has collaborated with Slamp, the leading Italian light design company, in 2016, presenting a collection of light sculptures entitled, “La Traviata”.