photo credits: Martin Atanasov
Highlights from the research around the topic of UTOPIA in the production frame HABITAT placed in Moving Body platform '2022
RESEARCH
<No place. to be> is a research residency on the contemporary dimensions of utopias. In the first research stage, I invited five artists to reflect on the topic, each through their own medium – writing - Yasen Vasilev (BG), photography - Martin Atanasov (BG) , generative audiovisual - Pandelis Diamantides (CY/ NL), choreography and movement - Johannes Schropp (DE)
Each of them offered a different perspective on utopia:
- a political re-invention
- a personal and psychological inner utopia
- a disillusionment and critical distance from the concept of utopia
- a practice and maintenance of utopian thinking, rather than production
- an indigenous and spiritual understanding of utopia
YIN UTOPIA
Ursula Le Guin
It would be
dark,
wet,
obscure,
weak,
yielding,
passive,
dark,
wet,
obscure,
weak,
yielding,
passive,
participatory,
circular,
cyclical,
peaceful,
nurturant,
retreating,
contracting,
circular,
cyclical,
peaceful,
nurturant,
retreating,
contracting,
The title starts from the understanding that the space for living and being is ever shrinking. In the ruins of capitalism, spaces have become unbearable, inhospitable, and uninhabitable. “The West isn’t made for human life. In fact, there’s only one thing you can really do in the West, and that’s to make money.” (Michel Houellebecq). If we are pushed out of our habitat and if there’s no place for us, we need to imagine it and create it “out of the pure urge of survival” (Slavoj Zizek).
No place is the literal translation of utopia. To be is the performative magical spell-like ritual of the uttering that makes things appear through language. The attempt to embody the utopian in the research itself brought about this manual. It collects and describes a series of practices that we borrowed, invented, investigated, shifted, tried out, and failed with during the residency. It also offers a series of questions that we don’t have the answers to yet, as well as a bibliography for reference and further reading.
I aim to use this manual for the activation of a long-durational immersive participatory performance blurring the difference between art and life, taking the final fifth indigenous and spiritual understanding of utopia. The manual also to function as a guideline for the audience on how to look at and perceive reality and catch a glimpse of utopia. In the words of Ursula K. Le Guin this utopia “would be dark, wet, obscure, weak, yielding, passive, participatory, circular, cyclical, peaceful, nurturant, retreating, contracting, and cold.”
How can we shed light differently on everyday places that we inhabit that potentially contain a hidden utopia as a no-place – how can we see them as strange and new and magical? “Mystery suggests a rich and ambiguous range of terms: secret, enclosed, withdrawn, unspeakable.” (Timothy Morton). How can we heal and change the perspective on the spaces through our practices of being?
A practice of being includes unlearning, re-shaping, distorting, confusing, and healing our bodies in those spaces. It aims to illuminate them in different ways so that they reveal the potential of a utopian no place.
We explore the positions, relations, and actions of the body in these spaces. We tune in to the invisible no place in space. We are looking for a specific sense of time outside of time, connected to the sacred, the heterotopia, the community carnivals, and the festivities.
We use language for its magical properties, its spell-like potential, its performative function, where utterings create new realities.
2023
In the second part of the research, I developed the concept around PRACTICES FOR ALTERED STATES.
To allow time + space + body to melt together
Practices for Altered States enables me to re-enter the vocabulary, music, philosophy, mythology, and somatics of the dance, to more deeply comprehend what it teaches about the body, and the body’s inner and outer relations in dance and everyday life.
By doing this I learn to stay present, unlearn, and relearn meanings attached to the self and the source - the essence, as the practices for altered states require an openness towards what is being listened to.
From the Pendulation Practice, I developed a choreographic dance performance called Reflections
photo credit: Martin Atanasov
Further notes on the research '2023
Planting seeds and growing herbs and flowers can teach us a lot! It’s like practicing the cycle of life again and again, noticing and observing the quiet miracles happening before your eyes, practicing 'gift economy'.
What is 'gift economy'? When I was a kid one of the first things that shaped my view of a world, full of gifts simply scattered at your feet, was Apple trees ... A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present. Gifts exist in a realm of humility and mystery—as with random acts of kindness, we do not know their source.
What if we experience the world in that time as a gift economy, “goods and services” not purchased but received as gifts from the earth?
More thoughts on 'gift economy' in capitalistic society, we can learn by the language and behaviour of the plants and adopting the “philosophy” of their existing and communication.
A seed neither fears light, nor darkness, but uses both to grow, they don’t die when you throw ‘dirt’ at them, they grow and when seeds want to rise they drop everything that is weighing them down.
Some studies of mast fruiting have suggested that the mechanism for synchrony comes not through the air, but underground. "The trees in a forest are often interconnected by subterranean networks of mycorrhizae, fungal strands that inhabit tree roots. The mycorrhizal symbiosis enables the fungi to forage for mineral nutrients in the soil and deliver them to the tree in exchange for carbohydrates. The mycorrhizae may form fungal bridges between individual trees, so that all the trees in a forest are connected. These fungal networks appear to redistribute the wealth of carbohydrates from tree to tree." A kind of Robin Hood, they take from the rich and give to the poor so that all the trees arrive at the same carbon surplus at the same time. They weave a web of reciprocity, of giving and taking. In this way, the trees all act as one because the fungi have connected them. Through unity, survival. All flourishing is mutual. Soil, fungus, tree, squirrel, boy—all are the beneficiaries of reciprocity.
Hopefully more and more we can think about language in a much broader perspective too, not only from animal-human one.
Why it seems that in our modern world it is hard to adopt the principle of a mycorrhizal network that unites us, an unseen connection of history and family and responsibility to both our ancestors and our children. As human beings, can we stand together for the benefit of all.
We are remembering what they said, that all flourishing is mutual.
What if we experience the world in that time as a gift economy, “goods and services” not purchased but received as gifts from the earth?
More thoughts on 'gift economy' in capitalistic society, we can learn by the language and behaviour of the plants and adopting the “philosophy” of their existing and communication.
A seed neither fears light, nor darkness, but uses both to grow, they don’t die when you throw ‘dirt’ at them, they grow and when seeds want to rise they drop everything that is weighing them down.
Some studies of mast fruiting have suggested that the mechanism for synchrony comes not through the air, but underground. "The trees in a forest are often interconnected by subterranean networks of mycorrhizae, fungal strands that inhabit tree roots. The mycorrhizal symbiosis enables the fungi to forage for mineral nutrients in the soil and deliver them to the tree in exchange for carbohydrates. The mycorrhizae may form fungal bridges between individual trees, so that all the trees in a forest are connected. These fungal networks appear to redistribute the wealth of carbohydrates from tree to tree." A kind of Robin Hood, they take from the rich and give to the poor so that all the trees arrive at the same carbon surplus at the same time. They weave a web of reciprocity, of giving and taking. In this way, the trees all act as one because the fungi have connected them. Through unity, survival. All flourishing is mutual. Soil, fungus, tree, squirrel, boy—all are the beneficiaries of reciprocity.
Hopefully more and more we can think about language in a much broader perspective too, not only from animal-human one.
Why it seems that in our modern world it is hard to adopt the principle of a mycorrhizal network that unites us, an unseen connection of history and family and responsibility to both our ancestors and our children. As human beings, can we stand together for the benefit of all.
We are remembering what they said, that all flourishing is mutual.
Further notes 2024 - 2025
Inner Utopia as Resistance: Memory, Decolonization, and the Reimagining of Futures
The research explores the concept of inner utopia as a form of resistance against colonialism by analyzing the works of Ashis Nandy (Oppression and Human Liberation: Toward a Third World Utopia) and B. Cashmore (We Hear Only Ourselves: Utopia, Memory, and Resistance). It examines how psychological decolonization, cultural memory, and utopian thinking serve as tools for reclaiming agency and constructing alternative social futures. While Nandy critiques colonialism’s impact on the internal psyche of the colonized, Cashmore emphasizes the role of memory in countering historical erasure. By linking utopia to decolonial struggles, this paper argues that reclaiming cultural and psychological sovereignty is essential for postcolonial and oppressed communities to resist dominant systems of power.
The concept of utopia has traditionally been associated with idealized societies or political blueprints for a perfect world. However, recent scholarship shifts the focus toward inner utopia, a psychological and cultural framework that resists colonial domination and systemic oppression. This paper examines inner utopia as a form of resistance, focusing on how memory, self-reflection, and cultural reclamation serve as strategies for decolonization.
Two critical perspectives shape this discussion:
• Ashis Nandy’s psychological approach, which critiques colonialism as an internalized oppression that alienates individuals from their cultural and spiritual identities.
• B. Cashmore’s memory studies approach, which argues that preserving historical narratives and cultural memories is essential for resisting erasure and imagining utopian futures.
Through these perspectives, this paper investigates how marginalized communities use memory, culture, and utopian imagination to reclaim agency and challenge colonial and capitalist structures.
Inner Utopia as Psychological Decolonization (Nandy’s Framework)
Ashis Nandy’s Oppression and Human Liberation: Toward a Third World Utopia offers a radical critique of colonialism by reframing it as an internalized system of oppression rather than merely an external political force. According to Nandy:
• Colonialism creates psychological dependency, making the colonized adopt the values and aspirations of their oppressors.
• Liberation must begin with inner transformation, breaking free from the mental frameworks imposed by colonial rule.
• Spiritual and cultural autonomy—rather than Western political or economic models—is central to decolonization.
Rejection of Western Utopian Models
Nandy critiques Western utopian thought, arguing that it is overly focused on material progress, industrialization, and governance structures. Instead, he emphasizes:
• Small-scale, culturally rooted utopias, which are built around self-sufficiency, sustainability, and communal well-being.
• Indigenous knowledge systems as a counter-narrative to colonial narratives of “progress.”
This perspective challenges the dominant developmentalist utopias, which often replicate colonial hierarchies under the guise of modernization.
Memory and Utopia as Resistance (Cashmore’s Framework)
B. Cashmore, in We Hear Only Ourselves: Utopia, Memory, and Resistance, examines how memory functions as a tool for resistance, particularly for marginalized groups whose histories have been erased or rewritten by colonial forces.
• Memory is a political act, as remembering and retelling one’s history disrupts colonial narratives.
• Utopian visions are deeply rooted in historical memory, shaping the ways communities imagine and construct alternative futures.
• Self-reflection is essential: To resist oppression, societies must first listen to their own histories rather than external forces shaping their identities.
Countering Colonial Erasure Through Memory
Cashmore’s work suggests that utopia is not an abstract dream but a practice of recovering lost histories and reimagining futures. Examples include:
• Oral traditions and storytelling in indigenous communities as forms of historical resistance.
• Cultural festivals and rituals that keep traditions alive despite colonial suppression.
• Art, music, and literature as forms of utopian expression that reclaim lost narratives.
By restoring memory, inner utopia transforms into an active form of political resistance against dominant cultural erasure.
Contemporary Relevance and Applications
The theories of Nandy and Cashmore hold deep relevance in contemporary struggles for racial justice, indigenous rights, and anti-colonial activism:
• Decolonization Movements: Indigenous and postcolonial communities worldwide are reviving pre-colonial knowledge systems and rejecting imposed Eurocentric models.
• Black Lives Matter & Cultural Memory: Movements like BLM emphasize historical reclamation, addressing centuries of erased or distorted Black history.
• Environmental Activism: Indigenous communities advocate for ecological sustainability by returning to pre-colonial environmental knowledge (e.g., the Standing Rock protests).
By applying inner utopia as a framework, societies can move toward decolonized, self-sufficient, and culturally sovereign futures.
Conclusion
This paper has demonstrated that inner utopia is a powerful counter-practice to colonialism, rooted in psychological decolonization (Nandy) and memory as resistance (Cashmore). Both perspectives emphasize that:
1. Colonialism is not just external domination but an internalized system that distorts identity.
2. Liberation requires reclaiming cultural pride, historical narratives, and indigenous knowledge.
3. True utopia is not a distant political dream but an active, ongoing practice of self-definition and resistance.
By centering memory, self-reflection, and cultural resurgence, marginalized communities create alternative futures that reject colonial erasure and capitalist homogenization. This reframing of utopia as an internal, psychological, and cultural revolution offers a transformative vision for contemporary struggles for justice and decolonization.
References
• Nandy, A. (2019). Oppression and Human Liberation: Toward a Third World Utopia. Taylor & Francis.
• Cashmore, B. (2023). We Hear Only Ourselves: Utopia, Memory, and Resistance.
