Solaris?

Solaris? is a performance/expedition that first took place in a forest in Tromsø in June 2025.
Developed and produced by Mathilde Cayers in collaboration with a team of a writer, sound designer, set designer, light designer, dramaturge, 3 dancers, audience/expedition members and of course the forest itself.
Solaris? is based on the science fiction novel Solaris by Stanislav Lem. In the book, Solaris is a planet with a sentient ocean, in Solaris? the planet is a sentient forest. The performance is structured as an expedition through the forest, with the audience wearing both headset and goggles. The soundtrack and voice-over guides the audience through various encounters in the forest.

The Filtered Vision Goggles was my approach to doing light design in a forest during midnight sun season in Tromsø: The natural light was filtered through the goggles, with the colour changing in sync with the soundtrack to deepen the experience of exploring unknown territories.

Solaris? returns in june 2026 in a forest in Oslo, courtesy of Dansens Hus in Oslo.