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On April 24, 2026, Swedish artist Paloma Madrid and sound artist Vicky Leaks performed “Light in the Dark” at the MMMAD festival in Madrid– an outdoor performance in a city park that transformed nature, technology, and presence into a shared experience.
About the Work
“Light in the Dark” is an immersive outdoor performance and artistic laboratory created by Paloma Madrid, artistic director of the dance company Mar Lobos, in collaboration with Madrid-based sound artist Vicky Leaks.
The work takes the form of a guided meditation in the open air, where technology is not a layer placed on top of nature – but part of it. Sound is generated in real time through the electrical signals and biofeedback of plants, creating a sonic landscape that is unique to the place and the moment. Audiences are guided through a sensory journey that explores what it means to be truly present, with oneself, with others, and with the living world all around.
The work is rooted in Paloma Madrid’s extensive experience in choreography and sensory exploration, and investigates what she calls “ecological configurations”, the relationships that emerge when body, nature, and technology meet.
The performance in Madrid
Despite Paloma Madrid being unknown to local audiences, the performance drew a large crowd to the park. People stayed, listened and and at the end of the performance, the audience laid down on the grass and looked up at the sky. That image says a great deal about what “Light in the Dark” achieves: a performance that requires no prior knowledge, only a willingness to be present.
Background of the project and about Digital on Stage
The idea for Light in the Dark took shape during a mobility residency at KIBLA in Maribor, Slovenia, the Slovenian partner organisation of the Digital on Stage project. The international exchange shaped not only the work’s logistics, but its artistic content. It is a clear example of how cross-border collaboration can enrich and deepen the creative process.
“Light in the Dark” was selected through the Digital on Stage Cascade Funding Programme – an open, competitive call within the Creative Europe project Digital on Stage, led by Intercult. A total of 24 innovative European productions were selected to be presented at festivals across Europe in 2026.
Photos courtesy of MMMAD Festival 2026 © Maru Serrano
Co-funded by the European Union.
Disclaimer
FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION. VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE
HOWEVER THOSE OF THE AUTHOR(S) ONLY AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT
THOSE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION OR CREATIVE EUROPE.
NEITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION NOR THE GRANTING AUTHORITY CAN BE HELD
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