Anna Näsström and Johan Bandholtz, the artistic minds behind Ongoing Realities (OR), are a duo reshaping the world of performance art by merging dance with tech using their boundless imagination. In this interview, OR reveal how they bring together choreography and emerging technologies—such as VR, motion capture, and AI—to create memorable, multi-sensory, boundary-pushing experiences. Their work bridges bodily expression with digital realms, making each piece a sensory exploration and they’re constantly redefining themselves and their work. 

In their interview, OR spoke to us about their creative journey, the challenges and successes, and the thought-provoking messages embedded in their project Mälarmaran - Scouting Future Fish, created as part of Turning the Tide: Local Urban Labs. Through their performance, the duo—selected by Intercult (Sweden)—confronted environmental concerns around water scarcity with a satirical twist that was both startling and poetic, hoping to awaken their audience with both local culture and global urgency. OR’s unique vision dives into the uncharted waters of technology’s impact on the body, our collective psyche, and the planet and we hope you love reading more about their work. 

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Anna and Johan, how did the two of you come together to create this fusion of performance art and technology?

We’ve been saying since we first met in 2006 that we should collaborate one day. After following different paths post-graduation, the opportunity finally came in 2018. We realised we shared a fascination with technology, albeit in different ways. Johan's experience involved seeing how technology was applied in experimental psychology and neuroscience, while Anna had worked as a motion capture actor and movement artist in game design and film. That led us to ask e.g.: How can technology enhance or diversify how we approach choreography?

Dance and technology seem like two different worlds. Can you talk to us about some challenges and opportunities that often arise from this unique blend? How do you stay up-to-date, especially as digital tools like AI and VR continue to develop?

Dance is rooted in bodily communication and social and disciplined movement patterns, but our bodies are also intertwined with technology in countless ways, affecting how we move and perceive ourselves. Treating technology as more than just a separate tool—as a collaborator—opens up new ways of understanding both the technology itself and the choreographic process. It often leads us to deeper questions about what we aim to explore or express with our art. The biggest challenge, but also rewards, lies in the multidisciplinary nature of this work. Different experts may approach the same questions in vastly different ways, making collaboration both rich, interesting and complex. The key is balancing those perspectives to unlock new creative possibilities and ways to understand the body or our need for culture and art. 

What are your sources of inspiration and what artistic themes are you most drawn to?

We draw inspiration from a wide array of sources, including film, photography, dance, music, philosophy, and history. We're curious about niche expertise in any field, whether it’s from an archaeologist or an AI developer. The more specific and nerdy, the better—it helps us look at the world from different angles, challenging our own assumptions and ideas as well as connecting deeper to more aspects of the process of artistic creation.

 

As of this certain moment in time Johan is wrapped up in learning about pre-industrial building techniques, the art of composting and timbering. Anna is diving into a diverse range of fantasy and science fiction worlds by reading too much and delving into the global politics of AI courses online. 

What motivated you to apply to the Turning the Tide - Local Urban Labs project?

We're deeply interested in environmental issues and urban planning, and this project provided the perfect opportunity to combine those passions with our interest in choreography and public spaces. It allowed us to explore how environmental changes in the future might reshape urban life and how choreography can respond to these shifts, socially and politically. 

Can you tell us more about your creative process during the development of Mälarmaran – Scouting Future Fish? How did the idea come to life?

We started, as we often do, by immersing ourselves in the space—listening to its history and observing its current state. We took photographs to document our impressions and compared them to historical materials. We also read through public comments on social media forums discussing the ongoing redevelopment of Slussen. The title *Mälarmaran* is a fusion of Mälaren (the lake), Maran (a mythological creature), and a post-apocalyptic scenario where water must be rationed. It speaks to our collective paralysis in confronting environmental crises, much like how Maran’s victims were paralyzed in their sleep. We wanted to ask: What forces are at work here, and are they external or self-inflicted? Which perspectives are considered? Can we communicate this further by bringing Mälarmaran to life?

Did the audience have any influence on the performance, either during the festival or while putting it together?

Yes, absolutely. We drew from online comments to understand how people perceive the site and its redevelopment. We observed their interactions with the space and incorporated that into the performance. We also addressed the accelerated gentrification of Slussen, something many seem unaware of. This shaped both the content, process and the mood of the piece.

Thinking about your TTT hybrid residency, what was your biggest win and toughest challenge?

The biggest win was diving into such a rich pool of diverse material. We often find it most interesting to create while delving into many layers simultaneously, which is a strong parameter in our practice. The toughest challenge was narrowing it down—we could have easily turned it into a series of performances due to the wealth of perspectives available. Logistically, summertime in Sweden posed its own challenges, especially in securing permits to perform, which took more time than anticipated.

You have various residencies under your belt; how have these influenced your creative journey, and what role do they play in shaping your future and opening more doors for you?

Residencies are often a possibility to spend time and effort with an idea, and each collaborative part or the humans involved. One of the core challenges in culture and art is having time and resources. So these opportunities have furthered our artistic practice by giving us that space to let things develop, change, set habits and break them, question things and build up our work. 

What’s next for Ongoing Realities? Are there any upcoming projects you’re particularly excited about?

We’re excited to be launching a film later this year, which will premiere at the Taiwan Dance Platform 2024. We’re also managing a cross-border collaboration with another duo in Europe, and we’re eager to expand that partnership in the near future. Besides that we hope to meet new collaborative partners and strengthen our existing relations on different fronts, spurring ideas and inspiring each other within different fields in this changing political climate.