Hi Antonio. We understand you’re constructing the main stage canopy at Rainbow Serpent. How is the project coming along?
I am thrilled and deeply honoured to be preparing the shade canopy for the main stage. We’ve submitted a proposal that I think is going to be amazing and the arts department of RS has approved it, so now we are fine tuning details and have begun the preparation of the materials. Everything is coming together nicely.
Where do you gain inspiration to create something like that?
My inspiration comes from nature, fantasy and from dream state experiences. I like to imagine a world where our minds can manifest beauty from a single thought – this is the concept. Creating a surreal, fantastic, involving atmosphere for the RS family as if it was the manifestation of a collective consciousness sharing a common dream.
Do you listen to much music in the creation process?
Music has a lot to do with our installations, but it is not really what fuels our inspiration. Rather, it is a parallel complement in what should be a multi-sensorial experience. Music for the ears, art and installations for the eyes, and love and consciousness for our hearts. All are important to achieve the mind-blowing experiences that can be had in amazing festivals such as Rainbow Serpent.
What’s the process of creating the shade? How long does it take you?
Making a custom shade usually takes months of planning. The first contact with our clients or the event producers sets off days and nights, which turn into months, of dreaming up ideas. But in the case of Rainbow Serpent I can honestly say that it begins way before. It is a dream come true and I can say that I have dreamt of someday getting there and I’ve imagined what I would like to do, and how I would like do it. So the seed begins way back, and much of what we have done all those years has taken us down the path of eventually getting there.
Since we began this project we have been thinking about what would work and what would look sweet, and based on their feedback we fine tune the ideas and eventually reach a proposal that works within their budget and infrastructure and logistics constraints and fits within their aesthetic and thematic objectives. Once we figure that out, the production is pretty straightforward.
How did you first get involved into designing such works for festivals?
Deliria goes way back. I was living in Canada at the time and I went to work and live in Japan for a year. There I was inspired and blown away by the music scene and thought to bring back home what I learned and fell in love with there. It was 1995. So when I got back to Canada, a group of close friends and I formed Deliria and began throwing parties under that name and began implementing deco and visual landscapes with the idea that a proper gathering had to include these elements, as well as amazing music. After a few shows I began to get booked for gigs outside of town and I’ve never looked back.
Will you be attending Rainbow Serpent Festival as well? What are you most looking forward to?
Yes. We are so stoked. I have heard so many amazing things from so many people that I am sure it will be one of those things that we will never ever forget and always look back to with beautiful memories.
