Some thoughts after IMPACT 2023 “Ecologies of the attention”

First of all it must be said that IMPACT 2023 “Ecologies of the attention” was a transdisciplinary symposium with lectures, workshops & artistic interventions that took place in PACT – Zollverein (Essen, Germany).

Sometimes we wonder ourselves how is it to that we have arrived to take part of certain experiences, that is the case of IMPACT 2023, of course that when applying, the call resonated and somehow fitted with the work or the approach of my work. The first thing I was grateful about was the fact that projects could be just speculative projects, or ongoing projects or researches so no need to say “Hey, here I am with my already successful project that I want to share” but rather “Look , I’m working on this and I would like to share it to get feedback, suggestions to make it better, or change it”.

Rare is the space where we can share visions, ongoing thoughts, without any prejudice if that will be feasible, sustainable, effective … a space where we could just be free to share whatever we work on, more close to a think tank but also more down to the ground because some how part of the work practice is already done.

But even when recognizing that the call itself was somehow special, the expectation was to be in another symposium, conference … where people would share information, interesting, maybe we would meet someone interesting with whom to keep in touch, but mainly it would be a space to present each ones projects.

However, something very different happened, I will spoil it here, we, the 32 participants during IMPACT2023 manage in only 5 days to fit as a whole body, to feel as one, as a community. How did this happen? What was the set up?

I will try to explain certain things that I think it has made IMPACT 2023 so special and different.

First I say 32 participants, but invited we were 26, the rest was the staff that even being part of the organization, they have been participants also, they were present during all the assemblies, studios time, or interventions. They were MC but also active listeners, they organized but also they were opened to any change, and when we mention the staff, we include the invisible ones, the documentation team, the permanent shadow of this body of 32.

So in a space where there was not real line between organizers and participants, all felt going smoothly, first thing to thank for.But it is true also that organizers can be cool, but participants can be picky, so things not necessarily go so smoothly with a nice setup.

The participants had a quite unique uncommon feature, that is that they are multidisciplinary themselves, the approach could have been, as normally is, to bring people working on specific domains together but it was not the case, in IMPACT2023 each participant is an artist-scientist-technologist-performer at the same time, already a very special situation.

The most amazing thing was, that these 26 participants where really from all over the world (Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Syria, USA, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Poland, Germany, Kenya, Russia/Senegal, Spain/Colombia/Senegal, China, India, ….) and coming together has been so easy, and the fact of having different cultures, backgrounds created a magical space.

In order to build such a connected body in just some very few days, I think a key was the Interventions of Social Pleasure Center, that through movement, dance, art and games interventions were able to connect our minds, our bodies, our energies and created a long-term link.

During the lectures, we discover different ways to address common topics, despite the difference there was an invisible thread that allowed to find something in each talk that resonated or that could be use in our own projects, it can be content, or ways of doing or ways of presenting.

It had been an experience of diversity where even being so different we were able to create a safe space that allowed us to stay or go, if we were overwhelmed wit sociability we could take time off, if we were tired we could go to rest, if we wanted to party there was always someone for it or if it was about chatting, conversation were ongoing continuously, you could even go buying together toothpaste or shampoo. Everything felt fine for the group, everyone could just be themselves.

Another interesting thing to see was how the mystical aspect of life was very present, how rituals are being put into value, something that in western world had been left out for a long time, but that they are coming back through the understanding and valorization of traditions coming from indigenous people and/or the global south.