Interfaces

I’m a scientist, I’m curious and above all I’m an experimenter , I like to play with things to understand and experience them better; in the lab as well as in life.
In the last years I had the honor to receive many Tibetan Buddhists teachings. Putting them into practice with the best open-minded skepticism attitude I could have, I went through a deep journey. A journey that became an organizing principle for all other activities in my life. Being a scientist, I started to wonder how much and if at all this journey could be supported by our western view of the world. Well, digging into modern physics, psychology and neuroscience it turns out that Buddhist teachings and the latest cutting edge western findings have mainly one big difference: the language! With language I mean the terminology and the approach to the topic.
I am thrilled to share with you a journey hunting for parallelisms and similarities. I will pay my best effort, in total respect of the two traditions to stick to what is peer reviewed in western science and to what is written in the ancient eastern texts. We will see together how much western findings back up meditation experiences and how these two disciplines are less apart then what one might guess.

The interfaces between mind, brain, consciousness and nature, remain exciting unresolved frontiers in science and philosophy: What is the nature of the human mind and how does conscious experience and meaning emerge in living systems?

In the context of the renaissance of psychedelic research we are currently facing a paradigm shift in the understanding of consciousness. As Freuds dream theory deepened the psychoanalytic understanding of the unconscious, psychoactive compounds could nowadays serve as promising epistemological tools for the scientific exploration of the molecular epistemology and phenomenology of consciousness. Psychoactive plants have been used in ritualistic contexts throughout human history for shamanic, therapeutic and psychospiritual purposes. Beyond shaping social and cultural evolution, psychedelic states of consciousness also raise profound philosophical and existential questions about the nature of subjective experience and the creation of meaning in the universe.

This transdisciplinary talk provides an integral approach of understanding the nature of human existence from its molecular basis up to the level of phenomenal consciousness. Interfaces between different epistemological perspectives such as pharmacology, neuroscience, biosemiotics, philosophy of mind, and deep ecology will be explored. This journey into remote territories advocates an attitude of epistemological humility: Reality turns out to be an ever-changing dance of possibilities that transcends the conceptually misleading distinctions between mind and matter that pervade the history of rationalistic thought.

In this interactive presentation, astronomy meets theology. This has nothing to do with astrology, but a lot with the idea of extraterrestrial life. Could Christian theology deal with the discovery of alien life forms? An analysis of history in these regards may prove surprising.
Also, if you may now wonder what theology could ever contribute to science, this event is for you. I will claim it even significantly contributed to biology. Rest assured, I am no creationist at all, nor presenting a new version of “intelligent” design. Actually, I would call myself sorts of a critical realist.

At least 4 domains make sleep a phenomenon with interface character: Sleep as a behavioral state, sleep as state of the mind, sleep as health indicator and sleep as mirror of development. All these aspects are centred on the brain. The lecture will tackle these 4 domains and guide the audience along a path of discovery approaching a better understanding for the role of sleep.

I am working with artists in transdisciplinary research projects since more than a decade. I will speak about joint research projects in the field of agroecology in East Africa where we develop novel innovative forms of joint knowledge generation and sharing and merge the formal sciences with informal farmer’s knowledge. We do this by brining together digital storytelling and ICT-supported farmer-participatory research and record keeping. Farmer-participatory research (a form of citizen science) that integrates farmers knowledge and builds on their realities on the ground has been projected as an important strategy and option for action towards developing more effective solutions. We have developed and implemented a sociotechnical methodology called Sauti ya wakulima (The voice of the farmers in Swahili) that, since 2011, has allowed small-scale farmers in Tanzania to use mobile phones and a web-based platform to share their stories and knowledge, thereby producing an ecosystem of learning that reached far beyond the lives and communities of the participating farmers. Starting in 2016, we work together with two civil society organisations, Swissaid and Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, and are expanding the project to reach about 5000 farmers in different regions in Tanzania alongside the establishment of farmer-participatory and farmer-led research and demonstration fields to test best-fit local practices.

Ragas are the ancient system of sacred music in India, passed on as an oral tradition from teacher to student over couple of thousands of years. The word raga means “something, that colours your mind”. Ragas, in the Hindu tradition, are believed to have a natural existence. Artists don’t invent them, they only discover them. According to Vedas they are considered to be subtle beings and with the right state of mind one can call them out. There are different ragas played on different times of the day. On these morning sessions you are invited to become part of the early morning ragas, played on bamboo flute – bansuri.

Our voice and the way we use our voice says a lot about who we are and who we dare to be. Much like our eyes, our voice reveals things about ourselves, we might not even have been aware of. Together we’ll learn to use our voice in a playful way, so we can learn to not only use it to say words but actually express the meaning behind words – to express who we are and what we feel right at this moment. We’ll talk, we’ll shout, we’ll sing and we’ll improvise without any expectation of how it should sound like. All that matters is each individual, unique voice and its sound, which we’ll combine to create a shared space of connectedness.

Stars have always played an important role in human civilisation, once religiously interpreted, used to fix the calendar, helping in navigation. I offer you a workshop in which you will have the chance to see stars and planets in the cold winter night for around 2h. I’ll first explain you how the star chart works that you can orient yourselves in the sky and then I’ll show you some star constellations with a high beam laser pointer. I plan to bring the 46 dobsonian reflector telescope (self-constructed) that we can see some interesting objects such as galaxies and nebulas a little bit closer. As this workshop depends highly on the weather, I’ll plan a cloudy night programme as well. Dont forget to bring warm clothes!

Participants will have the opportunity to drum, make music and improvise using elements from African and Arabic rhythms. The goal is not only self-awareness, but also communication: how does playing in a group touch the various aspects of being part of a community? Drumming presents the opportunity for certain experiences to happen, such as a whole-body experience, a sense of the flow of energy in the group or a redefinition of what it means to be an individual in a group.

Pottery is one of the most ancient crafts, indeed the potters’ wheel is said to pre-date even the wheel developed for transportation some 5000 years ago. I am fascinated by its rhythm, the tactile nature of the clay as it moves through my hands and the wonder at the objects they give birth to. The simplicity of the materials used in the process of making – water, earth and fire – is another thing that draws me to this craft in these busy and complex times.
I offer you a workshop in which you will have the chance to get to know this wonderful material and its properties better. I even plan to take my wheel so those of you who are keen can have a go!

Beginning with a short introduction to the philosophy, concept and anatomy of Thai Yoga Massage (TYM), we will move our focus onto actual massage techniques. The goal is that the participants get the feeling, understanding of what Thai Yoga massage is, and will be able to perform short (30-45 minutes) Thai Yoga or at least Thai inspired massage and get to know some transitions, and pressure points.  No previous experience is required to join.

The act of drawing and drawing itself as an object can be very magical. It has a particular lightness, flexibility and a compelling ability to synchronise thoughts, emotions, body movement, time, tools and material. Not only in art and design but in all the other human activities, drawing can serve as an extraordinary way of thinking and understanding. This workshop proposes a range of methods and strategies which are related to the main singularities of drawing such as spontaneity, experimentation, immediacy, simplicity, personal vision and expressiveness. You will have an opportunity to explore a contemporary approach to various media like charcoal, Chinese ink and gouache as well as different textures and formats of support. You dont need to have any special skills or techniques. The only expectation is being present within the process.

Contact improvisation (CI) is an inclusive dance form that is not bounded to the dance floor or any specific framework. Its fundaments may extend, in subtle ways, into our everyday actions and interactions. Within the unpredictable framework that the present moment holds, we find ourselves in a constant state of flow in which both contact and improvisation are vital. This workshop will therefore, not give much focus to the physical techniques of CI, but rather aim on developing a sensorial experience of CI that can ultimately be embodied and experienced in our everyday life. We will enter a journey in which all participants will be encouraged to explore their embodied self, the space in which the workshop will be held, and finally the embodied conversations that will happen with other moving bodies. This will be a safe and playful space, one in which we will become aware of our sensory sensitivities, and use them to explore in a dynamic and mindful way what is happening in the here and now.

Songlines is a two-day experience of story-telling in several interwoven art modalities and is inspired by the song-lines of the Australian aborigines who see these as geographical as well as poetic paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) which mark the route followed by the original “creator-beings” during the “dreaming” of the world. These paths are recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance, and painting. A knowledgeable person is therefore able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the song, which describe the location of landmarks, waterholes, and other natural phenomena. Over two days, we will start with our own creation myth and safely navigate through events in our own lives and our creative fantasies to arrive to and sing our very own song-line. The work involves individual as well as group activity. Everyone is welcome to join and it is strongly recommended to participate both days. We ask only for a desire to create and share, and an openness to play and have fun.

In this workshop we will join our perspectives to discuss the ethical and legal aspects surrounding the concept of artificial intelligence. We will look at how the main regulatory actors have been attempting to address the problems and opportunities arising around artificial intelligence, but most of all – outline aspects which require regulating at the earliest, as the lawmakers are “shaping the future” of our relationships with AI systems. We will, among others, raise questions related to the obligations and duties of creators of AI, the problem of pre-programmed servitude of beings and Kantian views on the same, possible property ownership by AI, as well as the field of intellectual property and copyright of works of art independently conceived by AI. From this, we will take a look at the East Asian perspectives related to creation of beings – and how do the East Asian philosophies differ in this regard from the Western approach to the aforementioned ethical aspects.

Confucianism (or perhaps more properly “Ruism”) as well as Buddhism and Taoism all propose paths to physical, mental and ethical growth of individuals – it is just that each of them is overlaid with a different methodology. Their representative philosophers strived to explain our place in the universe, in relation to other living beings and (often seemingly) inanimate objects and discernible phenomena. The relevance of these ways of thought has continued well into modernity, and interest in them has especially boomed in recent years as alternatives to Western moral and philosophical heritage are being sought in hopes of explaining new developments of human civilization. In particular, questions related to artificial intelligence are especially pertinent. Can robots, androids and sentient data be classified as human-like? Should they be accorded complete freedom by their creators? What may be the consequences of their growth and learning processes? In this workshop, we will discuss these and other issues related to extant, proposed and probable forms of artificial intelligence and examine possible answers to them within East Asian intellectual trends – especially Confucianism.

Gisela’s passion for dance and movement has led her to choreograph more than 30 ballets, lead movement workshops all over the world, and she has also travelled to international dance competitions as a member of the jury panel. Parallel to the arts world, she has also dedicated 15 years of her life to expand her knowledge about all forms of self-inquiry and healing techniques: ranging from Buddhism, Kundalini, the metaphysic course in miracles to body therapies. The result is a beautiful combination of art and expansion of consciousness for you to really embody your presence. For Gisela, the practice on resilience is certainly a map to navigate in order to maintain ones mental health.

Calligraffiti is a novel art form which combines the classic traditional handwriting with the different urban styles of graffiti. The aspiration of this course is that you’ll experience the calming and meditative effect of practicing basic forms and strokes of letters and later combine those skills with abstract forms, colors and different kind of techniques into an unique artwork we do together.

During the first part of the course, you will get an insight into the the basics of calligraphy and lettering, which established independently in many different regions all around the world. Later on we’ll use the skills you learned in the previous lessons, to create individual shapes and letters based on a large variety of ancient alphabets and have the opportunity to work with different types of tools on varying materials.

A Swiss throws away 721 kg a year (2015). Are you aware of every single piece you throw away, and think about where does it end up? We will talk about the steps to take to reduce our garbage, one step at the time. This is for everyone. We will also try to make our own products (like beeswax paper and deodorant).