VAL

By Svalbard Company

VAL
A womb, a church, a belly.

VAL is not just a sculpture or performance; it is an awakening of the imagination, a narrative of hope and resilience in tumultuous times. VAL is an exquisite blend of wooden structures and LED lights, symbolizing the confluence of the tangible and digital worlds, prompting contemplation about the trajectory of humanity and its relation to all life. The piece probes pertinent questions: What constitutes a digital fossil? How does one find harmony in algorithms? Moreover, VAL is more than a performance; it’s a communal space, an invitation to gather and reflect. VAL is a choice and an emergency light.

This nomadic installation/venue can access different spaces both in- and outdoors. The fully controllable LED lights function as a screen, chopped up into lines and spread into a 3 dimensional space. VAL can be presented as an immersive light sculpture or be used as a curated venue for various events where artists and audience interact with it.

Witness the change of its appearance from day to night, immerse yourself in its womb and experience casts of international artists throw themselves at it.

VAL is the new creation by internationally renowned circus company Svalbard. Artists on stage are curated by Svalbard company member and Artistic Director Tom Brand who will explore and improvise in and around the installation.

Vision:
VAL is one part of a planned larger piece with the working title ’Digital Fossil’ which is made up of different projects that can be combined in a modular fashion to create a large full length indoor performance.

VAL is a sculptural interpretation of a 21st century circus tent, a sculptural circus apparatus that transforms physical knowledge from various circus disciplines into a free-standing structure. It aims to bring the circus approach to different audiences and spaces such as art galleries, museums, clubs, nature, and public spaces in the city.

Artistic team
Author & Artistic Director: Tom Brand

Producer: Tom Brand

Construction: Tobias Kiefer (KI Metal Solutions), Immanuel Rein & Tom Brand

CAST (ever-changing)
Credits for the first two public presentations of VAL:
Costume: Lea Norrman Firus (Stockholm & Malmö/Lund)
Lights: Victor De Campos (Stockholm), Kenneth Danielsen (Malmö/Lund)
Music: Rosetta Carr, Tara Jerome & Benjamin Black (Stockholm)
Rosetta Carr & Momoko Gill (Malmö/Lund)
Performers:
Stockholm – Mira Leonard, Santiago Ruiz Albalate, Tom Brand, Emily Chilvers, Alvin Nilsen Nygaard
Malmö/Lund – Santiago Ruiz Albalate, Stina Riedel, Ben Smith, Tom Brand, Emily Chilver