Tromsø in the far north of Norway (above the Arctic Circle) inspired Johnson (theatre director) and Gorgun (visual artist) to create a project called “Underneath” – their question was what lies underneath the snow? They found the city of Tromsø to be “dominated by nature” in a way that neither the UK nor Turkey is. During their visit they found the phrase “There is Nothing as Silent as Snow” very powerful.
They imagined a joint project in the form of a theatrical installation, a white-walled maze with a concealed room at its centre which the visitors stumble across. The maze and the room would be filled with images of things that have been buried “underneath” our consciousness or in history – unpleasant truths which lie concealed and silent as if under snow. The maze would be animated by Johnson and Gorgun themselves as performers.