'Tree of Codes' ticket sale opens Wednesday

A spectacular visual and artistic experience awaits the audience for the contemporary ballet ‘Tree of Codes’, which will be performed in the Danish city of Aarhus 27-29 April 2017 as a highlight of the European Capital of Culture 2017.

Following sold-out performances in New York and Manchester the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 and the Aarhus Concert Hall are jointly bringing ‘Tree of Codes’ to Aarhus for the ballet’s only performances in Denmark. Tickets for the performances at the Aarhus Concert Hall will go on sale on Wednesday 27 April 2016 at 10.00 (CET).

”We are proud of being able to realize and present one of the absolute major cultural highlights during the year of the European Capital of Culture. I am sure 'Tree of Codes' will attract high interest from audiences both nationally and internationally,” says Mette Kier, Head of Programme at Aarhus Concert Hall.

The production is the result of a unique international co-operation that brings together choreographer Wayne McGregor, visual artist Olafur Eliasson, and composer Jamie xx to create a ballet inspired by the book ‘Tree of Codes’ by novelist Jonathan Safran Foer.

Soloists and dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet and dancers from Company Wayne McGregor form the company, who will perform in a fascinating, dynamic environment of reflection, colour, and light, created by Eliasson to a score composed by Jamie xx.

“I am absolutely thrilled that Aarhus 2017 is presenting such an exciting and ambitious project to our Danish and international audiences in 2017. This project is a powerhouse of strong cultural capacities, with Danish and European artists joining forces and creating something unique and ambitious across the spectrum of different art forms,” says Rebecca Matthews, CEO European Capital of Culture.

“It has been very exiting to work on this project. “Tree of Codes” addresses the book as a space that relates to our body. I was fascinated by the fact that it has a very physical impact, turning the act of reading into a sculpting of space and narrative over time. Wayne reacted to Foer’s sculpting out the story by taking out moves rather than adding them and Jamie’s music created yet another architectural grid, all of which has inspired my light concept and the sequence of set designs,” says Olafur Eliasson, who looks forward to returning to Aarhus, where he designed ‘Your rainbow panorama’, a 150-metre circular walkway enclosed in panes of coloured glass and situated on top of the artmuseum ARoS.

‘Tree of Codes’ is commissioned by European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017, Park Avenue Armory, FAENA ART, Paris Opera Ballet, Sadler’s Wells and Manchester International Festival.