Now As Seen Below – The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell opens at ARoS

After years of scaffolding, cranes and curious glances towards the top of ARoS, it's finally happening. On June 19, The Dome will open, giving Aarhus a new space where the sky becomes part of the art.

Inside the dome awaits the work As Seen Below by American artist James Turrell. A name that for many is synonymous with light, perception and that quiet feeling that the world is shifting a little.

Here it's not a painting you're looking at. It's the light itself.

A space that changes with the sky

The Dome is created as a so-called Skyspace. An enclosed space with an opening to the sky, where the light outside and the light in the space interact.

Sometimes the opening is closed and the colors inside the room take over completely. Other times it is open and you sit with your gaze directed towards a sky that suddenly feels closer than usual.

It's not an experience that shouts. It works slowly, almost silently.

The first few days will be special.

The opening will be marked with a number of special experiences.

As early as June 19, you can get access to a limited number of “sneak peeks,” where you get a short time alone in the room. The museum is otherwise closed that day, so it is an opportunity to experience the work in a more calm and concentrated form.

The following weekend, the program opens up more. Here, you can attend lectures on architecture and light, experience a special sound work created for the space, and gain insight into the process behind what is now complete.

And then there are also the slightly more unexpected formats. Yoga, meditation, talks and activities for children. The Dome will not only be a place where you see art. It will be a place where you are in it.

Morning, evening and the little breaks in the middle of the day

There are several ways to experience the work, depending on how much tranquility you are looking for.

The short “Color Shifts” run several times daily. Here you can go in, sit down, and let the light change the space around you for about 20 minutes.

For something a little more special, Twilight is the place to go. Here, the dome opens and the experience follows sunrise or sunset. This is where the contrast between the natural light and Turrell's colors becomes most apparent.

It requires a reservation. And this is also where the seats disappear first.

A program that goes beyond the opening

The opening days are just the beginning.

In the following weeks, the program will continue with talks, presentations and events with authors, researchers and cultural mediators, among others. There will also be room for family workshops, guided experiences and quiet mornings in the space.

The ambition is clear. This shouldn't just be something you see once. It should be a place you return to.

If you want to experience it

Tickets for the most sought-after times, especially at sunrise and sunset, are booked quickly.

So if you want to sit up there under the dome as the light changes and the city hums on far below, it's a good idea to be out well in advance.

Some experiences require a special ticket or reservation, while others are included in the admission to ARoS.

Book your ticket here