The Feast of Trimalchio

Overview

The Feast of Trimalchio is a deconstruction of the self-obsessive and indulgent behavior of modern civilization and is an allegorical symbolization of a mass-media generated version of Heaven. The guests of the hotel indulge in all of the contemporary pleasures perpetuated in advertisements of resort getaways, from leisurely fitness to 'body purification,' while the viewer sees any notion of social hierarchy dissipate as the masters begin to court the servants, acting out their fantasies of a Roman Saturnalia. The pleasures in AES+F's Feast of Trimalchio are intermittently interrupted by catastrophes that are simultaneously tragic and comical.