NOVO FESTIVAL aims to achieve balance on both an aesthetic and analytical level. Artists are invited annually, each with a different practice. By intertwining their approaches to media and message, this group reveals that transdisciplinarity is not a choice, but rather a condition for creating integrated cultural futures on the planet. The selected artists are of Portuguese and International origin. What they all have in common is their interest in the relationship between artistic making and ethical responsibility, and how these are interdependent factors in the evolution of the cultivation of human consciousness. If artistic and cultural frameworks are not established as real spaces for reflection on the current human condition, there will be no other sphere that makes this type of social and political achievements possible.

The curatorial duty is to develop structures for artists to create freely without the limitations imposed by the racism, sexism and xenophobia that plague society. It is of utmost importance that the curators of NOVO FESTIVAL bring their experience to the debate on “solving cultural and social problems through creation”. Curation comes from “Heal”, whose etymological origin lies in “finding a remedy”.

In this case, the remedy lies in the acceptance of differences, mutual support, care and validation of artistic expression as a necessity for human health. It could also be an opportunity for these artists to continue their work, and for the creation of networks that can define immediate and lasting futures.