Renaissance World Tour
Renaissance World Tour is a concert tour performed by Beyoncé in the summer of 2023, after the release of the album of the same title. Its goal is to be a celebration of freedom, dance, pleasure, self-love, expression, and identity as it is centered around the LGBTQ community.
INSPIRED BY
Metropolis is a silent sci-fi film directed by Fritz Lang, set in a futuristic city with wealthy elite living above ground and workers underground, with a forbidden love story at the center that initiates revolution. Metropolis explores themes of industrialisation, technology, inequality, and morality.
The Birth of Venus is a painting by Giacomo Galli, depicting the goddess Venus, inside the seashell, in a reclining position. The artwork aims to embody idealized aesthetic standards and classical mythology. Galli’s version of The Birth of Venus celebrates femininity and beauty.
The Matrix is a sci-fi action film that follows the journey of Neo, who learns that the world is a simulated illusion. The film raises philosophical questions regarding reality, identity, control, free will, and consciousness. With its visual effects, The Matrix has transformed the industry and initiated worldwide cultural discussion on technology.
Memory is a surrealistic painting by René Magritte displaying a white face partially covered in blood, which can symbolize the memory that a woman has to deal with, giving the bust human-like qualities. Memory explores illusion, identity, perception, and reality, aiming to challenge viewers on how they see and understand the world, questioning the reliability of their senses.
Sleeping Venus (also known as the Dresden Venus) is a painting by Giorgione and Titian, depicting the nude goddess Venus sleeping on a fabric. This artwork has helped pioneer new motifs — the nude figure in a resting position, and the placement of the model in the depth of space.
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt is an oil painting on a wooden panel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder depicting the biblical escape into exile of Mary, Joseph, and their infant Jesus. They are depicted as a small detail in a vast environment around them, the painting shifts focus from divine figures to nature itself by symbolizing refuge and harmony. Landscape with the Flight into Egypt points to a new direction in Western art where landscape becomes a spiritual space.
Diamonds and Pearls Tour is a concert tour performed by Prince after the release of the album of the same title. It included funk, rock, and R&B songs with high-energy performances and extravagant costumes.
Aurora and Cephalus is an oil painting by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin that captures two figures from Greek mythology. Aurora (the goddess of the dawn) fell in love with Cephalus (a mortal hunter) and carried him away to her home, Olympus. Their story unfolds impossible unions and the fragility of trust between mortals and gods. Aurora and Cephalus explores themes like love, desire, infidelity, longing, fate, jealousy, and divine complication.
Morpheus Awakening as Iris Draws Near is an oil painting by René-Antoine Houasse that captures titular god of dreams, Morpheus - son of Hypnos, god of sleep, and Iris - a messenger of the gods. As he approaches with the light of morning, Morpheus stirs from the shadows. The painting evokes the tension between sleep and waking, color and shadow, or silence and message.
The Bronze Head of Hypnos was found in Civitella d’Arna in Italy, and shows the Roman version of the Greek god of sleep. The sculpture has soft features, closed eyes, and a wing on the side, giving a sense of peaceful sleep. It probably came from a bigger statue and shows how much the Romans admired Greek myths and the art of bronze work. It has been in the British Museum since 1868.
