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September: ON KNOWING (Philosophical & Artistic Retreat)
Coming Soon
|Barcelona
On Knowing is a 6-session multidisciplinary workshop series that blends philosophical prompts with artistic exercises to guide you through a process of discovery and reflection. Rooted in mindfulness, philosophy, art, and inquiry.
Time & Location
Coming Soon
Barcelona
About the event
On Knowing is a 6-session multidisciplinary workshop series that blends philosophical prompts with artistic exercises to guide you through a process of discovery and reflection. Rooted in mindfulness, philosophy, art, and inquiry, it offers an approachable way to explore profound themes like trust, identity, hyperreality, psychogeography, imagination, and the balance between solitude and community.
Drawing from a range of thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Simone Weil, Jean Baudrillard, and Gabor Maté, On Knowing encourages you to question norms, contemplate personal experiences, and reimagine the structures that influence our lives. This workshop provides a creative space to think critically, reflect deeply, and challenge assumptions. On Knowing will encourage deeper self-awareness, ignite new ideas, and support a more mindful and intentional approach to life.
COURSE CONTENT
Workshop 1: TRUST
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Self-Reliance & Inner Knowing
We are surrounded by conflicting information, shifting narratives, and a constant stream of external noise. In the midst of it all, it can be difficult to know what is true, what will last, and what is worth believing. This perpetual hum of outside influence challenges our ability to hear our own voice, leaving us adrift with a weakened sense of inner guidance. Over time, as we lose the muscle for turning inward, we begin to rely on others’ views to shape our own, missing the opportunity to interpret and understand the world for ourselves. In this process, we risk losing our own sense of truth. When we explore our ideas only through the lens of others, innovation and curiosity are replaced with recycled, uninspired thinking.
By rebuilding trust in our own intuition, we rediscover our ability to create, engage, and move through life with authenticity, connection, and strength.
TRUST is a reflective and creative workshop designed to help you recognise when and why you neglect your own voice in favor of external perspectives - and how to rebuild the habit of trusting yourself. Through a multidisciplinary approach, you’ll engage with big ideas through a blend of guided discussion followed by a hands-on artistic exercise. With simple yet powerful introspective questions, along with an art activity designed to express what you’ve discussed in another way, you’ll begin to disentangle your ideas from outside influences, reconnecting with your own sense of clarity and authenticity.
Workshop 2: CONDITIONS
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Rootedness & the Needs of the Soul
Many of us move through life without questioning whether the environments we live in truly support our ability to feel grounded, connected, and whole. We absorb ideas about what we should think, feel, or value—yet in doing so, we risk losing touch with what deeply matters to us. Simone Weil argues that for us to form an authentic connection with the world, the soul’s essential needs must first be met. Without them, we become vulnerable to external ideologies that dictate our beliefs, distancing us from our own inner truths. This workshop invites you to explore Weil’s concept of the “needs of the soul” and reflect on the conditions necessary to fully trust, value, and understand yourself.
CONDITIONS is a reflective and creative workshop designed to help you recognise the conditions that nurture or hinder your connection to your true self. Through guided philosophical discussion and a hands-on artistic exercise, you will explore the ways in which your environment - personally, culturally, and politically - impacts your ability to connect with your deeper feelings. Through introspective questions and creative expression, you will reflect on the conditions necessary to honor your own sense of rootedness and how you can cultivate those conditions in your life.
Workshop 3: HYPERREALITY
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Truth, Identity & Authenticity
In a world where reality is increasingly augmented by media, digital culture, and curated images, it becomes difficult to differentiate between what’s real and what’s constructed. Jean Baudrillard’s concept of Hyperreality explores how this blurred line affects our sense of truth, identity, and connection. From the idealised images we see on screen to the projections of perfect lives online, what happens to our relationship with reality? In this workshop, we’ll delve into Hyperreality and reflect on how mediated experiences shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
HYPERREALITY is a philosophical and artistic workshop designed to help you understand how the constantly augmented nature of reality influences your sense of rootedness and connection to what is truly real. Through a blend of philosophical discussion and creative exploration, you’ll identify how hypervisibility and the constructed world around you alienate you from authenticity. By engaging in introspective questions and artistic exercises, you’ll reflect on your relationship with reality, your identity, and the impact of digital culture on your ability to trust your lived experiences.
Workshop 4: CONNECT
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Mind-Body Connection & Authenticity
In a culture that often celebrates productivity over well-being, we have become disconnected from our bodies and our instincts. We live in a world that rewards unhealthy relationships with work, nature, and even ourselves, causing us to suppress the very feelings that are meant to guide us. In this workshop, we’ll explore the mind-body connection and reflect on how we can reclaim the ability to listen to our gut feelings, realigning with what truly nourishes us.
CONNECT is a philosophical and artistic workshop designed to help you explore how cultural norms and societal pressures cause disconnect between the mind and the body. Through guided philosophical discussion and creative exploration, you’ll reflect on how societal expectations have influenced your mental and physical health. By engaging with introspective questions and artistic exercises, you’ll rediscover a wisdom in your instincts and explore ways to realign with an authentic expression of self.
Workshop 5: REIMAGINE
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Rethinking Norms & Creative Possibilities
In a world shaped by established norms and predictable structures, it’s easy to overlook the potential for change and transformation. What if we approached life with a new perspective, one that challenges conventional thinking and opens up new possibilities? In this workshop, we’ll explore creative ways to rethink how we engage with the world, using the principles of détournement (subverting familiar elements to create new meanings) and psychogeography (rethinking how we experience and navigate life) to shift our understanding and spark new ideas.
REIMAGINE is a reflective and creative workshop designed to help you break free from old patterns and explore new ways of thinking. Through philosophical discussion and artistic exploration, you’ll reflect on the familiar concepts and assumptions that shape your worldview, and engage with exercises that inspire new perspectives.
Workshop 6: SOLITUDE & COMMUNITY
A Philosophical & Artistic Workshop on Balance, Connection, and Discovery
In our fast-paced, hyper-connected world, finding a balance between solitude and community is essential for our sense of stability and understanding. How do moments of solitude foster personal reflection, and how does being part of a community deepen our awareness of our place in the world? In this workshop, we’ll examine how solitude strengthens our connection to ourselves and how relationships ground us in a shared human experience, navigating the tension between - and vitality of - retreat and belonging.
SOLITUDE & COMMUNITY is a reflective and creative workshop designed to help us explore the importance of both personal introspection and human connection. Through philosophical discussion and artistic exploration, we’ll reflect on the roles that solitude and community play in our lives and how they influence our relationships with ourselves and others. By engaging with introspective questions and creative exercises, we’ll explore the balance between mindful retreat and meaningful connection.
Workshops run for 2 hours, with an equal split of time between the philosophical portion and the artistic exploration. To preserve a thoughtful and impactful environment for our workshops, group sizes are kept small and spaces are limited.
No prior experience with philosophy or art is needed and all materials are provided. This is a welcoming, pressure-free space for exploration.
This can be booked as a 6 week complete course (as above) or each workshops can also be booked as a standalone experience. Each session builds on the last to deepen trust, clarity, and creative exploration.