Ukrainian artists took part in Le Guess Who? festival held in Utrecht
Ukrainian artists and cultural representatives took part in Le Guess Who?, one of the world’s leading festivals for sound, art, and cultural exploration, held on 7–10 November in Utrecht. Each year, the festival transforms the city into a global hub for experimentation and exchange, presenting over 150 performances across diverse venues.
This year’s programme included two Ukrainian projects:
- Heinali & Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko with Гільдеґарда (Hildegard) — a reimagining of Hildegard von Bingen’s compositions through modular synthesis and traditional Ukrainian singing, exploring spirituality, embodiment, and wartime experience.
- Valentina Goncharova with Every Growing Tree — an electro-acoustic performance shaped by her classical background and her pioneering use of custom violin pickups and multi-track electronic manipulation.
The festival’s inaugural Sound & Culture Summit brought together voices from around the world, including Ukrainian speakers and cultural organisations.
Ukrainian participants joined several discussions within the Summit program:
- “How to Make Noise: Tactics of Resistance Around the World”
— Anton Nazarko (Some People, Kharkiv) and Vitalii Nemchenko (20ft Radio, Kyiv) discussed how Ukraine’s independent music initiatives resist Russian aggression, sustain cultural momentum, and continue to create under wartime conditions.
- “Digital Dilemmas: Archiving and Preserving Culture”
— Dmytro Nikolaienko, co-founder of the labels Muscut and Shukai, reflected alongside international peers on the fragility of digital archives and the importance of safeguarding cultural memory — including the revival of Ukrainian archival tapes from the 1960s–90s.
The participation of Ukrainian artists and speakers at the festival was supported by the Ukrainian Institute.
Photos: Le Guess Who?