In a public space, Dávid Somló sets up an area with collected twigs and portable speakers, and begins to balance. As people join him in this practice – which has proven to be contagious – a collective choreography and a quiet, poetic spectacle emerge in the public space, while a meditative sense of community is created for the participating audience.

Delicate Balancing of a Twig is a movement meditation that fosters a subtle and harmonious connection – to a twig, to oneself, and to one’s surroundings.

While balancing a chosen twig, one may experience a growing sensitivity in movement, deep attention and presence, a care for a light object, playful curiosity, and a space for self-reflection. The piece unfolds into an open and flowing performance over time within an atmospheric soundscape.

The interaction between participants and passersby creates a playful presence and a shared curiosity and reflection on our behavior in public space, and our connection to nature.

“The twig is always present.
The twig pays attention to you.
The twig is sincere.
The twig is very sensitive.
The twig is inexpensive, but very valuable.”

“If I want, I’m fully immersed in the crowd, and I feel like I’m navigating the entire world in balance. Is this magic? someone asks. Which sect do you belong to? another one throws in, but it’s neither magic nor a sect, just us and the sticks, a rather profane situation, and that state in which this seemingly insignificant nonsense, for some inexplicable reason, is still able to change dimensions.” Csaba Králl, Élet és Irodalom, participating audience

GREEN STREETS OF EUROPE RESIDENCY

The Hungarian artist Dávid Somló is one of the participating artists in the European project Green Streets of Europe (2023–2025). From April 23 to May 1, 2025, he and Slovak artist Petra Fornayová will take part in a residency hosted by Helsingør Teater and PASSAGE Festival to further develop their artistic investigations.

In the Green Streets of Europe project, artists and festivals work together to rethink conventional structures for the production and international touring of performing arts works in public spaces.

Traditional touring practices carry a significant environmental cost. Green Streets of Europe therefore shifts the focus away from the final artistic product — the finished performance — and towards the artistic process, for the benefit of artists, festivals, and local audiences alike.

By opening up artistic residencies and workspaces to include local citizens and audiences, we believe it is possible to create longer-lasting and more sustainable formats and relationships together.

The artistic residencies in Helsingør in 2025 are organized in collaboration with The Culture Yard