Artists Residence as Spaces of Resistance and Catalysts for Social Transformation: The Case of Dies Irae: The Case of Dies Irae

This contribution investigates the role and transformative potential of artist residencies as liminal spaces that resist the productivist logics of contemporary performance and experiment with new forms of relation, creation, and community engagement. Far from being mere sites of artistic production, residencies are conceived as laboratories of sharing and co-creation, where embodiment and participant agency play a constitutive role in both artistic and social processes.The study focuses on Dies Irae. Concerto per donne e martelli, a seven-day residency at L’Arboreto – Teatro Dimora in Mondaino, led by performer Gloria Dorliguzzo and musician Gianluca Feccia. Through an ethnographic approach integrating observation, interviews, focus groups, and digital diaries via WhatsApp, the research examines the transformative dynamics emerging between artists, participants, and creative processes, showing how residency ecosystems enable new configurations of roles, power, and shared practice.