>>> Seminars on Observing and Studying Art
Lecture
The lecture outlines the differences between a historical-critical reading of an artwork and an existential reading, emphasizing the aesthetic experience as an altered state of consciousness. The painter’s existential circumstances find expression in the painting and become fixed at an energetic level. They can be discovered by an attentive, open observer who connects deeply with the artist’s intentions.
Our interpretation affirms the active role of the observer, who participates with the artist in realizing the artwork. This dynamic idea rests on the principle of cyclical communication: the artwork mediates between two existences across time and space.
Seminar
On Saturday the seminar explores different methods of reading an artwork, with the aim of helping observers attune themselves to the subtle contents embedded by the artist in the creation. It is a matter of finding the right frequency to reactivate the spiritual meanings of art, waiting to be rediscovered by every person in every age. These deeper meanings can be perceived through a poetic openness similar to that experienced by the artist when making the work. On the third day, participants put what they have studied into practice. They visit a museum devoted to a single artist and seek to perceive the many values conveyed by the works. We usually spend only seconds or minutes looking at a painting; participants may be surprised to find that even six hours of observation barely suffice to grasp the immense richness of art.
Seminar Topics
Who It Is For
Adults and young people aged 16 and over. No artistic or professional background is required, but participants should love art enough to devote some 30 hours to studying an artist. Maximum group size: 15.
Duration
The seminar takes place over two 16-hour weekends, or four study days from Thursday through Sunday, for a total of 32 workshop hours.
Cost
The fee for each seminar is agreed upon with interested participants.
Download workshop information sheet (PDF, Italian)
Lecture preview
Osservazione ed interpretazione spirituale dell’arte
What should we look for in a painting? What matters when we try to understand a work of art? Can we spend an entire day contemplating a work, or do we settle for the customary few seconds looking at its label to discover the painter’s name and exclaim, “Oh! It’s a Caravaggio”?
Have we learned to see, or is our way of looking blind to the many values of a painting? Do we know where to direct our attention, or do we consider only its emotional impact? Do we truly open our spirit to what cannot be named, or do we look through the conditioned limits of criticism and the artist’s reputation?
These questions reveal how little we have actually learned to observe art. We often try to compensate for this lack by reading art-history and criticism books. Yet there is a fundamental difference between visiting an exhibition to confirm what we have studied and entering into a direct relationship with the work.
We believe that encountering a work directly is the deepest and most effective way to understand its subtle meanings. Historical information about an artist and their work is indispensable to society, but it may not be needed when we stand before a painting: what matters then is being present, here and now.