Methodological Framework: Circularity in Artistic Research at RESONANS Festival


The methodological framework for the RESONANS festival is rooted in the notion of circularity—a continuous, reflexive process that values both the recontextualization of existing works and the dynamic interaction between artists, audience, and space. This approach reflects an ongoing cycle of engagement, where the boundaries between process and product dissolve, foregrounding the festival itself as an act of artistic research. By framing the event through this lens, RESONANS positions artistic production not as a singular moment but as an iterative, evolving interaction between content, context, and community. The festival’s motto, “The product is the process, the process is the product,” encapsulates this cyclical relationship, prioritizing the journey of artistic inquiry over its final form.

 

Key Components of the Circular Process

  1. Reflexive Curation The curatorial strategy underlying RESONANS rejects the linearity of traditional festival programming, which often revolves around the unveiling of new works. Instead, this approach privileges a continuous dialogue with existing works, creating a space where artistic expressions can be revisited, reimagined, and put into conversation with each other. Reflexivity becomes central to both the curatorial and performative acts, situating the festival as a space of ongoing inquiry. Drawing on findings from my Ecology of Artistic Research (2023), this framework responds to questions about sustainability—both in the material and cultural sense—by eschewing the demand for constant newness, instead favoring the sustainable practice of re-curation.

  2. Thematic Containers Each day of the festival is constructed as a thematic "container," designed to focus on a specific artistic, sensory, or social theme. Rather than treating the days as isolated events, they serve as interrelated nodes within the broader cycle of the festival’s aims. These thematic containers facilitate an immersive exploration of various modes of multimedia arts—visual, auditory, textual—while centering pressing social and environmental conversations. For example, days dedicated to environmental poetry and sound art engage the audience in multi-sensory experiences that critically examine our relationship to the natural world. The structure of these containers fosters mental sustainability by offering audiences space for reflection, avoiding overstimulation, and ensuring thoughtful engagement with each artistic intervention.

  3. Multimedia as Dialogic Practice The festival's emphasis on multimedia forms—ranging from poetry films to sound installations, and performance art—enables a multiplicity of sensory and intellectual experiences. This plurality of mediums encourages cross-disciplinary dialogue and intersensory perception, allowing audiences to engage with art on multiple levels. Rather than privileging one form of expression over another, multimedia arts become a platform for interaction, where each medium informs and reshapes the audience's experience of the other. This interplay mirrors the circular, non-hierarchical structure of the festival’s methodology, where no single artistic form is given primacy but instead participates in a larger ecosystem of exchange.

Circularity in Artist and Audience Engagement

  1. Community and Artist Support as Process
    Central to the RESONANS festival’s circular model is its commitment to community and artist support. In traditional festival settings, artists may be seen as producers of isolated works, but within RESONANS, they are participants in an ongoing, evolving conversation. The circular framework integrates artists into the very fabric of the festival, where their participation extends beyond their performances. Artists are encouraged to revisit, reflect on, and redeploy previous work in new contexts, thus reinforcing the idea of sustainability through reuse and reinterpretation. This approach not only reduces the material and cognitive load on artists but also affirms the value of continuous artistic inquiry.

Audience engagement, likewise, is not a passive experience but an active component of the research process. The circularity of the festival model ensures that audience participation is reciprocal—rather than consuming art, they become co-creators in the festival’s unfolding narrative. The participatory nature of the festival, particularly through events like interactive sound installations or poetry performances, reconfigures the role of the audience as integral to the artistic process itself. This fluid exchange blurs the boundaries between observer and participant, artist and audience, and process and product.

Agile Project Management and Sustainability Strategies

  1. Agile Applications in Festival Development
    The circularity of the RESONANS process is further reinforced by the application of agile project management principles. By embracing flexibility and adaptability, the festival’s structure allows for responsive shifts in programming, addressing the needs of artists, venues, and audiences in real time. This method departs from rigid, pre-determined festival timelines, instead encouraging iterative feedback loops where the festival’s direction can pivot based on ongoing interactions and insights. Agile methodologies contribute to the festival’s sustainability, allowing it to remain dynamic and responsive to both internal (artistic) and external (environmental or social) factors.

Furthermore, agile strategies enhance the circularity of the festival by incorporating phases of reflection and evaluation as integral steps in the process. After each event day, informal debriefs and feedback from artists and audiences inform subsequent programming. This creates a living, breathing festival that evolves based on continuous input, fostering an adaptable, sustainable structure for future iterations of RESONANS.

  1. Sustainability: Environmental and Mental
    In addition to curating a sustainable artistic ecosystem, RESONANS integrates principles of environmental sustainability. By encouraging the reuse of existing works and limiting the production of new materials, the festival minimizes its environmental footprint. This extends to the festival’s logistics as well, with conscious choices about venues, energy usage, and waste reduction throughout the event. The festival’s commitment to mental sustainability is equally crucial, ensuring that artists and audiences alike engage with art in a manner that promotes well-being, avoiding the burnout often associated with large-scale festivals.

****Moving forward, RESONANS will place increased emphasis on inclusivity, particularly in addressing invisible disabilities and neurodiverse needs. Denmark's architectural challenges can make accessibility difficult, but future festivals will work closely with venues to ensure that events are more accessible to all participants, and that more hybrid elements are implemented. Incorporating strategies such as quiet spaces, sensory-friendly environments, and digital participation options will help broaden the festival's reach, ensuring that all individuals can engage with the art and research presented.

 

Future Strategies for RESONANS

As RESONANS continues to evolve as an artistic research project, future iterations will deepen the exploration of circular processes by incorporating more dynamic, cross-cultural dialogues. New collaborations will focus on expanding the festival’s reach beyond the Nordic region, bringing in diverse perspectives that challenge and enrich local narratives. By continually interrogating the relationship between art, environment, and community, RESONANS will maintain its role as a critical space for interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange. Furthermore, the ongoing commitment to sustainability—both environmental and mental—will guide future developments, ensuring the festival's growth in a manner that remains conscious of its social and ecological impact.

References (of this part of the project)

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