The Tale
King Midas, the Phrygian king, was bestowed a gift by the god Dionysus for returning the missing satyr Silenus. Midas chose to turn everything he touched into gold. Delighted with this newly gifted talent, he started turning things into gold, until he discovered that touching his food and wine also made them turn gold. When his daughter came to check on him, the gold also consumed her body, and made her into a statue. Cursing his gift, the grief struck Midas turned again to Dionyus, who instructed the king to wash himself and everything he touched in the river Pactolus.
About The Creation
For this piece we built a large scale set from scratch, sourcing elements all over the place, including a huge painted background.
We covered a lot of our props in gold leaf foil, with the apples showing the temptation and the gold Midas' desire.
Also important are all the fabrics, giving a rich feeling to the palace, but also showcasing the father & daughter relationship.
Credits
Talent: Eric Kutula, Petronella Mwasi
MUA: Sarina Mannaert
Assistants: Kevin De Borger
Behind The Scenes video: Timo Vandiest, Arno Poppelaars
Technical Support: Uwe Verschaeren / UVE
Location: UVE, Herentals
Costumes: Huis Baeyens
Scenery: AlterEgo Decor
Camera: Hasselblad X1D-50C
Lights: Profoto D2, B1, B2
Behind The Scenes Video