Photo: Patrick Zadrobilek
Collaboration between Mimmo Miccolis and Gloria Benedikt (Research Associate for Science and Arts at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA))
Performers: PAVEL KABAT, GLORIA BENEDIKT, MIMMO MICCOLIS, KRISTZTIAN GERGYE, HANNAH KICKERT, PIOTR MAGNUSZEWSKI.
InDilemma
a dance-science performance – European Forum Alpbach 2017
The anticipated US defection from the Paris Climate Agreement, Brexit, and North Korea’s nuclear program were among the topics dominating current affairs in 2017. Could these issues—and the options available to deal with them—be better understood if the science of conflict and cooperation, namely, game theory, were better understood? And could a fusion of the science of conflict and cooperation with the art of movement and cooperation support that understanding? In short, could dance breathe life into an abstract theory? Could the theory become accessible to a wider number of people as a consequence? And, thus, could it help them to make more informed decisions about current issues? These were some of the questions that prompted Benedikt to embark on Project InDilemma, an unprecedented attempt to fusion game theory with dance through a co-creation process between scientists and artists.
By creating a narrative around an abstract theory, using music, dance, and visuals with narrated text, the theory acquired a new form, appealing to both reason and emotion. Bridging emotional and cognitive competences is considered to be a key competence of sustainability. InDilemma provides insights into the power of fusing artistic and scientific processes in order to strengthen this competence as well as into the potential of actively engaging audiences to understand and support the complex decision making involved in working to achieve sustainability.
InDilemma premiered at the Political Symposium of the European Forum Alpbach 2017 and was also live-streamed.
