VJing often ignores a critical element: audience agency and resistance. While we talk about participation, we rarely discuss how viewers actively resist passive consumption—an aesthetic and political oversight. Most audiovisual work prioritizes seamless synchrony, keeping sound and image in comfortable alignment without genuine counterpoint or friction. In an era of global crisis, purely ornamental aesthetics risk complicity with the status quo. This talk advocates for a shift toward active perception and utopian practice. We must challenge audiences to think and feel independently rather than consuming pre-packaged affect. By embracing resistance as a generative tool, VJing can become a space for critical engagement, using complexity and discomfort to return true agency to the spectator.

Philipp Henkel is a German composer, curator, and multimedia artist based in Hannover. In his music, gestural instability and extended expressionism transform the subjective listening experience. His compositions and multimedia works explore the implications of technology and societal failure(s) through a research-led approach. His music has been performed by ensembles including Trio Recherche, Quasar, Jack Quartet, Musikfabrik, etc across Europe, Asia and North America. Recent premieres have taken place at the GAIDA Festival in Vilnius, the Diversonics Festival in Taipei, the IRCAM Forum, Unheard Festival Hongkong, as well as Monopol Berlin. In addition to his artistic activities, Philipp is also active as a speaker at various congresses. He has given multiple lectures at the ZKM.