Interview with iCoDaco artists in residence

After the first iCoDaCo residency, Aura from the Portugal-based collective and Tomáš Janypka from the Czech-based collective kindly provided us with deeper insights into the exciting process.

AURA, Loom Collective (Portugal)

In November 2024, the first iCoDaCo 2024-2027 knowledge production residency took place. At the beginning, all collectives received a starter kit from the Encompassing Collective with some conceptual and thematic stimulants for the week: What tools and methods did you use in your responses to the starter kit?

From the starter "What/Where is your desire in dance", we begin by wanting to know each other better and sharing our interests and references within dance; then we answered individually to the initial question and mapped the intersections between concepts that we have in common; each one of us shared an exercise and we went from fake therapy to hand movements, passing by music that makes us dance and the combination of movement-writing-drawing; we desired to go outside the studio and visited local exhibitions; as well, we aimed for more sustainable forms of deceleration and touring in the performing arts; at the end, we mapped all of this on the Miro platform, as indicated by the encompassing collective, and we gave ourselves a name: Loom Collective.

Did your collective experimentations influence your view on the role of art and artists in today’s society? 

For me, but I imagine for the rest of the collective too, the fact that we are working collectively and with time - two rare factors in an increasingly individualistic and fast-paced sector and society - is in itself transformative and special, and of course, it ends up influencing our role as artists and our visions for current and future projects. Desire - which is very present in my next project "Sex & Death" - is something we should constantly reclaim, because, after all, we are choreographers and dancers, because that is what we desire(d) and we should not end up doing projects out of obligation or to fulfill certain expectations. It was a reminder of “Why are you here and now?”

The Portugal-based collective consists of 4 artists with different backgrounds. How did you come together as a collective? Did you face any challenges?

We were selected through an open call launched by Instável - Centro Coreográfico that brought together me and 3 other choreographers and dancers, based in Porto, with different backgrounds and practices, from theatre, through performance, and visual arts, to dance; as well as notions of body proximity, speaking without words, embodied experiences, and immateriality that unites us.

So far, I feel that we haven't encountered any challenges, I think the biggest one was to be selected, as it was a quite competitive process with so many talented professionals, and, before that, for this project to get the necessary funding to support us. I feel lucky to be part of it, and very excited for the upcoming residencies!

Tomáš Janypka, Czech-based collective

In November 2024, the first iCoDaCo 2024-2027 knowledge production residency took place. At the beginning, all collectives received a starter kit from the Encompassing Collective with some conceptual and thematic stimulants for the week: What tools and methods did you use in your responses to the starter kit ?

In response to the starter kit, we began by sharing our personal practices to explore how they could contribute to the collective. We created tasks and methods to engage with the kit, such as group brainstorming around key questions like “Who is the artist?” We also developed a specific exercise called “Planet Experience,” where each of us shared a personal dance accompanied by a song. This became a way to express and connect with who we are as individuals.

To navigate the non-hierarchical process, we explored various tools and approaches, including non-violent communication, holding space for one another, and creating dedicated spaces to address tensions. We emphasized collective moderation, adhered to our agreed-upon guidelines, and focused on listening—to what was emerging as our collective identity, to each other’s voices, and to our own roles within the group.

The process evoked a mixture of feelings: curiosity, difficulty, patience, misunderstanding and excitement. It is a big learning process. 

Did your collective experimentations influence your view on the role of art and artists in today’s society?  

I can’t fully evaluate everything yet, but during the residency, certain themes resonated more strongly with me. I see this as part of a broader process of understanding the role of art—an inclusive connection with others.

In the context of today’s challenges, one major issue is the arrival of AI, which opens new questions. It’s a vast topic that makes me reflect more deeply on what human art and expression truly are and how they speak to the human experience of being. I believe it remains our task to focus among others on overlooked aspects, liminal spaces, marginal areas, and the subtleties within us that can offer alternative perspectives on our everyday realities.How can we make these processes visible and heard? 

This feels especially relevant because contemporary society seems increasingly driven by the consumption of vast amounts of information, often skimming its surface. This ties closely to the rise of personal and artistic self-branding, life influencing, and the monetization of various aspects of art. For me, these trends raise important questions about the essence of art and its place in the modern world. 

The Czech-based collective consists of 7 artists with different backgrounds. How did you come together as a collective? Did you face any challenges?

Our collective was formed through an open call organized by Studio ALTA. While some of us knew each other beforehand, the majority met for the first time during this process. In our initial residency, we focused on building our collective identity—getting in tune with one another, connecting, and spending time understanding each other’s practices, experiences, and perspectives. This allowed us to start to align as a collective and begin shaping a shared vision for who we want to be as a collective, opening up possibilities through defining our presence.

Our challenges included working non-hierarchically, building new relations, understanding the collective’s identity, and responding to weekly tasks. Themes of freedom, responsibility,empathy, and listening emerged, prompting us to experiment with rituals and systems to support our process.