Oneiris is an immersive audiovisual performance by Berlin-based electronic musician and cellist Chloe Lula in collaboration with visual artist and lighting designer Tim Novikov. The project, rooted in ambient electronics and live improvised cello, draws inspiration from dream states and the periphery of consciousness. It accompanies Chloe's debut full-length album Oneiris, released on Subtext Recordings in November 2024.

A play on the word "oneiric," Oneiris references the fluid, surreal nature of dreams, nodding to the minimalism and contemporary classical textures of artists like Philip Glass, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and Yair Elazar Glotman. Through Novikov’s innovative approach to light, fog, and architectural mapping, the performance envelops audiences in a sensory experience that transcends traditional audiovisual presentations, creating a space of deep contemplation and boundless introspection.

Artist Bios

Chloe Lula (US/DE) Chloe Lula is a Berlin-based electronic musician, cellist, and DJ. With a background in classical music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she eventually transitioned into experimental and electronic music, merging her influences from techno and avant-garde composition. As a DJ and producer, Chloe has performed extensively across Europe, North and South America, and Asia, with appearances at Nuits Sonores, Dekmantel, Unsound, and Wire. Her return to the cello in recent years has seen her explore electroacoustic techniques and experimental sound design, culminating in her album Oneiris and its accompanying live A/V show. She is a resident artist at Tresor and has forthcoming releases on Blueprint and Falling Ethics.

Tim Novikov (UZ/DE) Tim Novikov is a Berlin-based lighting designer, visual artist, and former architect. Originally from Uzbekistan and raised in Siberia, he studied architecture in Samara before moving to Berlin in 2015 to pursue interdisciplinary artistic work. His practice integrates light, analog visuals, and generative digital graphics to create immersive environments. In 2017, he founded Minus Null, a production studio focused on sustainable materials for the music and art industries. He has collaborated with artists such as Bendik Giske and Caterina Barbieri, as well as with the Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra on innovative audiovisual concert formats.

Performance Format

Oneiris is a fully immersive audiovisual experience, featuring Chloe Lula on stage with a transparent LED screen behind her, subtly flickering with lightning and celestial imagery. The performance space is transformed with fog, layered lighting, and carefully mapped visuals that evoke dreamlike landscapes—moonlit forests, shifting storm clouds, and surreal architectural forms. Unlike traditional projected visuals, Novikov’s design creates an expansive environment where light and sound dissolve into a multidimensional space.

The music consists of Chloe’s live improvised cello, ambient electronics, and the resonant feedback of the halldorophone, an electroacoustic instrument that generates shifting, organic textures. These elements form an undulating sonic tapestry that mirrors the transient and ethereal nature of dreams. The audience is invited to experience the performance not just as spectators, but as participants within a shifting, enveloping atmosphere.

Visual Elements

The visual narrative of Oneiris unfolds as an abstract exploration of memory and dream states. Tim Novikov’s design employs:

Dense floor fog and lighter, atmospheric mist, creating the sensation of drifting through layers of consciousness.

A transparent LED screen displaying real-time, audio-reactive visuals in a vertical format, appearing both in the space and within the fog.

Laser and lighting sequences simulating lightning flashes, shifting celestial bodies, and ephemeral dreamscapes.

Architectural spatial mapping, using the contours of the performance venue to enhance the immersive experience.

Conceptual Framework

At its core, Oneiris examines the delicate threshold between waking and dreaming, the tangible and the subconscious. Inspired by Chloe’s personal recollections and sensory landscapes, the project merges music, light, and spatial design to create a hypnotic meditation on perception and memory. Each performance is unique, adapting to the characteristics of the venue and its acoustic and visual possibilities.

“Oneiris” A/V is particularly suited for:

Experimental audiovisual performances

Contemporary classical and electroacoustic music settings

Immersive and spatial sound festivals

Cross-disciplinary art exhibitions

booking contact : michelle@potnia-theron.de