METTE AAKJÆR/WUNDERLAND – Twisted Forest

TIME & PLACE Fri 9th, Sat 10th & Sun 11th May, Refshaleøen
WHAT Performance (excerpt)

Playing with the forest’s anatomy

While childhood is filled with a whirlwind of sensory experiences, driven by exploration and development, our senses often have less freedom in adult life. But what happens if we venture deep into the universe of the senses and let the rough bark, the uneven moss, and the prickly undergrowth shape our state of mind and bodily perception?

Questions like these are at the heart of the performance TWISTED FOREST—a ‘live interaction game’ where you take on the leading role. The performance unfolds beyond marked paths and trails in the forest. At first glance, it may seem like an ordinary forest, but as you move through it, you will encounter creatures, objects, and experiences that challenge your imagination—allowing you to see both the forest and yourself in a new way.

You will encounter both the advanced anatomy of the forest and your own as you are guided through different zones in the area. Wherever you go, you remain part of the performance, invited into new experiences through an interactive soundscape. Along the way, you will meet performers who will take you on an anatomical journey, allowing you to dive deep into some of the body’s most essential elements: cells, muscles, bones, blood, breath. Elements that are vital to your existence but often go unnoticed in daily life. At the same time, you will encounter the fundamental, life-sustaining elements of the forest: cells, roots, sap, soil…

ABOUT WUNDERLAND / METTE AAKJÆR
Mette Aakjær is passionate about exploring the cracks in the reality we think we know. As part of the award-winning artist group Wunderland, she creates experiences that evoke an intuitive, associative inner state, where reality is perceived through a bodily, kaleidoscopic lens. The works are co-created with artists from various disciplines. With a background in experimental dance and physical theatre, Aakjær has been creating her own immersive works since 1993 and has explored audience participation, interactivity, and sensory techniques since 2001.
www.wunderland.dk

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Duration: approx. 90 min
Participants: max 20
Age: 14+
Language: Danish & English

CREDITS
Artistic director, concept developer & performer: Mette Aakjær – DK
Concept development & dramaturgy: Sonja Winckelman Thomsen – DK
Composer: Thoranna Bjornsdottir – IS
Co-creating performer: Lindon Shimizu – FI
Technical developer of interactive sound system: Jesper Lyng – DK
This experience is an excerpt from a larger performance developed for Nordic forests in 2022-23 with support from:

Statens Kunstfond, Nordisk Kulturkontakt, Bikuben Fonden, Aarhus Kommunes Kulturudviklingspulje, A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til Almene Formaal, Favrskov Kommunes Kulturinitiativer, LAG Randers-Favrskov, Europæiske Landbrugsfond for Udvikling af Landdistrikterne (EL-FUL), Favrskov Kommunes Landsbyråds aktivitets- og projektpulje, LAG LLSAE og Wilhelm Hansen Fonden.