The Next Level & James Turrell - While we are Waiting

The Next Level & James Turrell - While we are Waiting

27.11.2020 - 15.08.2021

The exhibition is a presentation of ARoS 'major expansion project The Next Level, which is expected to open in 2023. The Next Level (TNL) project is based on an idea by museum director Erlend Høyersten, developed in collaboration with James Turrell and Morten Schmidt from SHL Arkitekter.

The Next Level (TNL) project is based on an idea by museum director Erlend Høyersten, developed in collaboration with James Turrell and Morten Schmidt from SHL Arkitekter. TNL is a physical manifestation of ARoS’ vision for the museum of the future: ARoS should be an epicentre of knowledge – a mental fitness centre which, taking a holistic approach, contributes to societal development by inspiring active participation, independent critical thinking and social responsibility. ARoS is confident that we need to create, expand and develop our mental capacity in order to constantly see the world anew. We need an expanded mental capacity that is truly innovative, having been trained along different lines than today. Here, art and its institutions can play a very special role. The ARoS vision aims to redefine the museum, nurturing and highlighting the museum's influence on community, society and human understanding based on art experiences. Art can be used to expand our understanding of man and society and add new dimensions to our overall outlook. It is not just about understanding and interpreting the world, but about influencing it.

The Dome
The most spectacular element in the museum’s expansion plans is the construction of The Dome. Rising more than 9 metres above ground level, The Dome is a vast work of art consisting of a circular space extending to 38 metres in diameter and 17 metres in height. At the top of The Dome is a round aperture with a diameter of six metres, allowing visitors to look directly up at the sky. In its form and ambition alike, The Dome can be compared to the ancient Pantheon temple in Rome.

Inside, The Dome is awash with James Turrell’s distinctive lighting, famous for its strong psychological impact. Many who explore Turrell’s light installations report losing their sense of time and place. Seating will be installed in a large circle running along the inner wall of The Dome. Here, visitors can contemplate the sky or the rain pouring in. We will be able to see how light and colours affect our perception of space, our minds, and life outside. And we will be able to experience a sense of community and connection between people.

The Dome will also constitute a very special stage setting, creating opportunities for collaboration with other cultural institutions within the fields of music, dance and theatre.

In addition to The Dome, the Next Level project will include a large new exhibition gallery that will enable ARoS to display a larger share of the museum’s collection while also offering scope for more exhibitions featuring leading contemporary artists.

James Turrell
Since the 1960s, American artist James Turrell (b. 1943) has worked with installations focusing on light, colours and space. For half a century he has explored how space and light can expand human perception and our understanding of the world. Expansive in nature, Turrell’s art encourages slow contemplation, offering a counterpoint to our increasingly frantic contemporary world. His works all immerse their audiences in changing effects of light and colour, thereby evoking a distinctive, spiritual experience of time and space. Turrell has exhibited his work at art museums around the world, and his monumental and immersive installations can be found in more than 26 countries. Since 1974, he has been working on converting a large extinct volcano near Flagstaff, Arizona, into an astronomical facility modelled on or inspired by ancient naked-eye observatories. Going by the name Roden Crater, the project is not yet open to the public. A trained psychologist, Turrell has studied mathematics, geology and astronomy. At the age of 16 he obtained a pilot’s license and began his career restoring aircraft and flying supplies to the mines. He has also been a test pilot for Lockheed for a number of years. Turrell’s multifaceted knowledge and experience are clearly reflected in his art.

"With the realisation of James Turrell’s spectacular The Dome, ARoS will advance both the museum and the city to ‘The Next Level’, emphasising once and for all Aarhus’ status as a great culture city"
Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor, Aarhus