New rituals of contemporary art
In a cultural landscape increasingly dominated by speed, spectacle and instant consumption, Notations Lab & Festival 2026 proposes something slower and more demanding: a space where artistic practice becomes a collective investigation rather than a finished product. Returning to Yerevan for its second edition, the interdisciplinary platform created by Armenian cultural foundation hosq (հոսք, “flow”) brought together more than 130 artists and curators from 27 countries for a twelve-day laboratory exploring the theme of “Rituals” — not as inherited symbols preserved in the past, but as active structures capable of producing new forms of connection, artistic exchange and collective imagination. From 20 July to 2 August 2026, Armenia became a temporary hotspot for musicians, performers, visual artists, researchers and interdisciplinary practitioners. Beginning with a retreat in Dilijan before moving into Yerevan’s most important cultural institutions, participants developed 61 new works, including performances, installations, sound projects, concerts and experimental collaborations. The festival’s central question was
ambitious and timely: can ritual become a method for contemporary culture to rebuild a sense of belonging in a fragmented world? Rather than presenting contemporary art as a collection of individual statements, Notations approached creation as a shared process. The laboratory format placed artists from different disciplines and backgrounds into a temporary ecosystem where dialogue, uncertainty and exchange become part of the artistic material itself. The concept of ritual is not treated as nostalgia or cultural preservation. Instead, Notations examines ritual as a living technology — a way of organising attention, creating relationships and transforming collective experience. This approach reflects a wider movement within contemporary art, where artists increasingly explore participation, embodiment and collective authorship as alternatives to the traditional model of the isolated creator. Across two weeks, participants investigated how ancient practices, personal experiences and imagined futures could coexist. The result was not a single artistic statement, but a network of encounters: 31 performances, 19 installations, an ambisonic sound programme, several live concerts and public discussions that expanded throughout Yerevan. The choice of Yerevan is essential to Notations’ identity. Armenia exists at a fascinating intersection between deep historical memory and an emerging
contemporary cultural scene.The festival does not approach Armenian heritage as a static archive. Instead, it treats tradition as a material that can be questioned, rearranged and transformed. In this sense, Yerevan becomes more than a location — it becomes an active participant in the artistic process. The inspiring collaboration between independent creative platforms and established institutions, including the Armenian State Philharmonia and the National Gallery of Armenia, demonstrated a changing cultural landscape where historical institutions can become spaces for experimentation. As Artyom Naghdyan, Director of the Armenian State Philharmonia, noted, collaborations with independent artistic initiatives allow institutions to remain “alive, contemporary, and connected to today’s Armenia.” One of the defining moments of Notations ’26 came during the “Communitas" concert at the Armenian State Philharmonia, curated by Ben Wheeler and Zhanna Davtyan. The traditional concert format was transformed, placing the audience inside the sound rather than in front of it. During the performance, audience members spontaneously began a traditional Armenian round dance. The boundary between performer and spectator dissolved, creating an unexpected collective ritual where centuries-old cultural memory met contemporary experimental sound. This moment captured the essence of Notations’
philosophy: ritual is not something observed from a distance — it is something created through participation. Notations also challenged the conventional role of the contemporary art festival. Rather than focusing only on presentation, it prioritises process, experimentation and temporary communities. The festival extended across three Yerevan locations: the Armenian State Philharmonia, the National Gallery of Armenia and Hayfilm, a former film studio transformed into a creative cluster. At Hayfilm, the programme continued into the night with performances including a headline set by German electronic ensemble Brandt Brauer Frick, alongside DJs, world music performances, ambient sessions and audiovisual works.
One of the closing events moved beyond institutional walls to the rooftop of the National Gallery, while Neo-Tribes jazz orchestra brought the festival to its final moment inside the Armenian State Philharmonia. The challenge for many interdisciplinary festivals today is how to create lasting impact beyond temporary gatherings. Notations responds by investing in relationships, research and infrastructure rather than spectacle alone. Its ambition is not to replicate established European art festivals, but to develop a different model — one rooted in Armenia’s cultural context while remaining internationally connected. As lead curator
Lusine MLKÉ-Galstyan reflected, the experience represented a rare sense of creative freedom and collective connection: a space where artists could “laugh, cry, touch each other’s lives, and experience a profound sense of togetherness.” This sense of togetherness is perhaps Notations’ most significant achievement. The festival does not present ritual as a historical object or artistic theme. It proposes ritual as a contemporary necessity — a way of rebuilding connections between people, places and ideas. In Yerevan, Notations ’26 demonstrated that the future of contemporary art may not only lie in creating new objects, but in creating new conditions for encounter. Here, heritage was not preserved behind glass. It was activated, questioned and transformed — becoming a living language for the future.
Lena Sme
