II International Movement Festival U:NEW – VIRAL VISIONS in Warsaw

The second edition of the International Movement Festival U:NEW – Viral Visions took place in Warsaw from 29 September to 2 October 2022. The program featured choreographies, performances, and video works by artists from Poland, Italy, Ukraine, the USA, France, Mexico, Belarus, Austria, and Slovakia.

The festival opened with a reworked version of the performance “Extinction”, now titled “Extinction: REplay”, with a new dramaturgy performed by HOTELOKO movement makers: Agata Życzkowska, Mirek Woźniak, and Karina Szutko.
Another highlight was the Italian company Zappulla DMN Company from Palermo with the performance “Cudna Wizja – Wunderkammer”.
The program also included the premiere of “Czarny ból” choreographed by Iryna Kupriianova (Poland/Ukraine), as well as several short, female-led choreographies showcased during the “HER MOVE” evening, featuring performances by Zoe Marstone, Diana Sznek, Małgorzata Bartecka, Idalia Roberta Kurowska, Klara Florek, and Karina Szutko.

Agata Życzkowska, the founder and director of the festival, described the concept as follows:
“This year’s edition of U:NEW Festival is held under the theme VIRAL VISIONS. After the pandemic and the period of isolation in our homes—and often within our own countries—2022 has finally become more open to travel, including internationally. That is why we are excited to host, among others, a company from Sicily – Zappulla DMN Company – and finally present their work to a wider audience, hopefully without capacity limits. The show will be held in a completely new cultural venue in Warsaw: Terminal Kultury Gocław, which offers a beautiful performance hall and several spaces dedicated to dance.

During our festival events taking place across different locations in Warsaw, we aim to reflect on the cultural resilience our societies have developed during the pandemic, and to explore the needs and desires of contemporary dance audiences attending our programs at the Theatre Institute or CPK. All of this, of course, will be framed by new artistic visions expressed in various forms of movement and performance.”*

Just like in the first edition, the festival’s themes revolved around ecology, care for our planet, human rights, gender equality, cultural identity, and tolerance.
The International Movement Festival U:NEW aims to promote contemporary dance in its new and experimental forms, and to strengthen international collaboration between Polish artists and foreign partners.

An essential part of the festival is the presentation of works by young artists and youth groups, highlighting emerging visions and supporting the development of a new, young dance audience.

The 2022 program included:

• The performative conference: “VIRAL VISIONS: WHO ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?”, featuring performances, video screenings, dance workshops, and discussions
• The evening “HER MOVE”, focused on female perspectives in choreography
• “WAVES OF DANCE – VIRAL VISIONS”, a special edition of Warsaw’s Night of Dance

Why U:NEW?

U:NEW is the result of a wave of new perspectives on contemporary dance in Poland, Europe, and around the world. The U:NEW Festival is a flow of actions touching upon identity. It is a collection of visual, musical, and movement postcards that reflect the dynamic sociological and philosophical changes of recent years.
It attempts to understand the rapid development of technology and to find one’s place within this evolving space.
It presents absurd, comic, and sincere actions that connect searching individuals. It offers honest confessions, social manifestos, and artistic statements.
It creates an interactive image of both small towns and big cities. It is a dialogue and a voice in the discussion about the future of Europe and the world.

Urban New Eco Wave
Use New Edu Wave
Unite New Euro Wave
Under New Earth Wave
Unique New Envisage Wave
UDance New Essence Wave
Choose your own U:NEW

Programmer and Artistic Director: Agata Życzkowska
Team: Karina Szutko, Adriana Liwara, Bartłomiej Mamajek, Bastian Mamajek-Życzkowski
Production: Theatre Development Foundation “NOWA FALA” / HOTELOKO movement makers

The U:NEW Festival is funded by HELIDARSTEA Agata Życzkowska and the NEW WAVE Foundation
The project “Waves of Dance – Viral Visions” is co-financed by the City of Warsaw, Praga Południe District.
The project “Viral Visions – Deconstructing Art Immunity” – the performative conference Viral Visions – WHO ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme.