The work comprises an exclusive print, numbered and signed by William Kentridge, created specifically for this publication; a sculpture designed and signed by the ‘starchitect’ Mario Botta, crafted from fine woods (ash, oak and walnut) and produced by Riva 1920; a finely bound copy of Painting the Stage, discreetly housed within the structure, in a dialogue between editorial research and artistic creation. This exclusive portrait by William Kentridge, created for Painting the Stage, pays homage to the great Viennese composer Alban Berg, whose opera Lulu represents a milestone of 20th-century modernism. Created in Kentridge’s Johannesburg studio, the work reflects the artist’s deep engagement with Berg’s music and dramaturgy. Through stark contrasts and an expressive style, Kentridge captures the intellectual rigour and emotional tension inherent in Berg’s score. The portrait resonates with the constant tension between structure and dissonance, reflecting the atonal universe that shaped the opera’s revolutionary language.