Dome of Visions Sheds Light on Festival Art

by Adrian Francis

Unless you spend your time away from the Aarhus harbor, the Dome of Visions is hard to miss. The sun glimmers off the clear glass rounded windows in a way that could make anyone a photographer just by snapping a photo of the structure. Completed in 2016, Dome 3.0 is the third installment of domes traveling around the world. The inside of this particular building houses a café, an event space, a balcony full of plants and trees, and numerous locations for relaxing.

Cecilie, one of the counter staff at the dome, prepares a coffee for a guest.

Upon entering the space you can notice green everywhere. Plants are growing at an abundance that makes you feel like you’re outside. This is because the dome is also a greenhouse. The temperature is regulated completely by the sun. The architects in charge of the project wanted to make sure the structure was fully sustainable. Considered the “house of innovation,” the dome offers its ideas about how we can vitalize the space between buildings and the temporary sites that always spring up when new buildings are constructed.

Some of the many plants hanging off the wooden balcony of the structure.

Today, the temperature was perfect as the building hosted Dries Verhoven, the artist behind “Phobiarama,” an art installment at the festival meant to make you feel confused, vulnerable, and afraid.

Dries (left) explains his views on fear politics and how it influenced his entire project.

“This work is about feeling helpless and not being in control, I want you to have that will to shiver,” says Dries as he’s being interviewed by another festival artist. The sold out show left people asking him why he chose to use specific scenes throughout the performance and what thoughts he had that led him to create these scenes. “I’m inspired by my doubts, not my opinions. I’m inspired by what’s happening outside. I want the audience to experience fear without being arrogant and trying to tell you how the world works.” The artwork done by Dries along with his progressive outlook on the world lended well to the space.

The “Book of Visions” which has the missions statement of the dome. “Dome of Visions is a tribute to the joy of building, accountability, and the sensuous life in the city.”

Currently, Aarhus Municipality owns the construction materials for the dome. When the structure was brought to Aarhus, it was originally planned to be taken down on October 31, 2018, much like the other domes in the project. However, the dome has much to offer a young student city like Aarhus. It has given us a place to learn about environmentally sustainable resources, fuel conversation about city architecture and planning, and share ideas about art in our world. Nevertheless, the fate of the Dome 3.0 is still unknown.