The starting point for ‘i c o n’ is the 19th-century death mask of an unknown young woman who drowned in the Seine with a highly mysterious smile on her face, ‘L’inconnue de la Seine’. The image fascinated visual artists, composers and philosophers for years, and became an object for reflection on transience, beauty and femininity. Fast forward to the 21st century. What meaning does her mythical selfie have today in a world in which we are overwhelmed with images? Images are today’s language, the preeminent medium for communicating our identity. Chiefly via social media, with a speed that is entirely embedded in the pace of our lives. What is it about these images that so attracts us, and why do we project our desires and shortcomings onto them? Why do we constantly want to fill in mystery with identity? And how much room do we leave for blank space? In ‘i c o n’, Atelier Bildraum ventures into the opera medium together with composer Frederik Neyrinck and librettist Sabryna Pierre. Soprano Lieselot De Wilde plays L’Inconnue, and actor Tibo Vandenborre is the contemporary embodiment of death. The music chimes with the story’s dramatic, almost expressionistic mood. At the same time, the music of The Velvet Underground and the iconic figure of Nico are sources of inspiration.