The Ruins
FREE. Have you seen the ruins in the forest? Come experience a musical performance. The premiere is on Friday, July 24, and there will be a performance on Saturday, July 25—on both days at 2:00 p.m., you can meet characters from another world who have sought refuge among the ruins. Through song, music, and movement, they try to build a new society and find a path toward a future that does not yet exist.
The ruins are constructed in the open air in Dybet, a natural ravine in the forest, where a set design featuring scaffolding and ruin motifs provides the backdrop for the performance. The audience sits on the slopes surrounding the installation, while the landscape becomes an active part of the work.
In the show, we meet four unlikely creatures: the dragon Blomme, the shapeshifter Court, the seer Kat, and the caring Donna. For various reasons, they’ve had to leave the world they came from and are now trying to build their own community amid the ruins. The songs become the community they’re trying to build. Each character brings their own melody, their own dreams, and their own ideas about what the future should sound like—but they don’t always agree.
As the characters sing:
We live in a time that doesn't exist yet
in a future we hope to have
and we believe that if we lay the first stone
then you’ll lay the next one
The performance moves freely between musical theater, role-playing, folk music, and electronic music in its search for a new artistic language for a time when the vision of the future has once again become uncertain. It was developed through Deep Forest Art Land’s program for young contemporary artists and is now premiering in the forest where the work took shape.
Practical Information
Premiere: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Match Day: Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 55 minutes
Language: Danish
Venue: Dybet, Deep Forest Art Land
Address: Sdr. Ommevej 29A, 6933 Kibæk
Price: Free
After the performance: A post-show discussion with Filip Vest and Kai Merke
Please note
The performance is held outdoors and takes place about a 10-minute walk from the parking area.
Good to Know
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The performance will take place in Nordskoven at Deep Forest Art Land. It is about a 10-minute walk from the parking lot to the venue.
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No. The performance is free and does not require registration.
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The performance will take place outdoors. Please dress for the weather. In the event of unusual weather conditions, there may be changes, which will be announced in advance.
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In the top menu under "Plan Your Visit," you'll find information about parking, accessibility, restrooms, hours of operation, and other practical details that may be helpful to know before visiting Deep Forest Art Land.
Credits
Concept / Direction: Filip Vest and Kai Merke
Choreography: Kai Merke
Set Design: Filip Vest
Music: Francesca Burattelli and Rasmus Steenberg
Text: Filip Vest in collaboration with the team
Performers: Hannibal Koch, Anaïs Matwara, Peter Scherrebeck/Misty Superdeluxe, and Faun Vium
Photo: Davy Denke, Pernille Emilia Kjær
Video: Valentin Marcus Andersen
Supported by: The Obel Family Foundation, the Danish Arts Foundation, the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation, the Midtjysk School and Culture Foundation, and the Nordea Foundation
In collaboration with: Metropolis, PASSAGE Festival, SixtyEight Art Institute, TOASTER & Feral Festival