OE:
When we talked about your plans of doing the seminar, I had no doubts that the studio was
potentially one of the best possible platforms for this event, logistic questions set aside. And I
hoped that by sharing this space, by showing hospitality, we might be able to amplify the felt
feeling of being present, of being together and producing shared knowledge, and in a way that
could go beyond what one could plan in advance. I certainly also hoped that I would benefit from
being a part of this, not just by learning about compassion processes, but also in the wider sense
of being included in a network where particular types of thinking take place. I believe that, as an
artist, I have a responsibility to actively host people and events – to proactively engage with people
who might not otherwise come to my studio. This is a kind of positive responsibility. If I want to
have a studio that is to play a role in the wider context of society, of the world, I cannot just sit and
wait for society to come and invite me – I have to go and invite the world into my studio.
TS:
And we came.
OE:
Yes! Thank you for your trust and for taking the risk, as there was clearly no way you could
have known how this would turn out. I thought it was quite a courageous move to be open to this
kind of collaboration. Most of the time, other spheres of experience marginalize artists as some
sort of clown or jester. This is another reason that I am incredibly thankful and happy about our
joint adventure.
MB: The crowd of people that came together for this workshop was very heterogeneous.
Do you see a connection between artists, scientists, and contemplative practitioners?
TS:
Indeed, the people who were invited to this workshop came from very different backgrounds.
Some were neuroscientists, some clinical psychologists, some contemplative scholars or Buddhist
monks and some communication coaches. Usually contemplative practitioners do not talk to
neuroscientists, who seldom talk to clinical practitioners. And, of course, there is a new trend in the
field of contemplative studies that tries to bridge contemplative first-person practices with third-
person scientific approaches. However, this field is still in its infancy. What is important for creating
such bridges between disciplines is that people meet around a topic through which their mutual
passion creates resonance. When this happens, it is not so important anymore from which
discipline each of us comes. The important question here is then rather, “What can we do with this
work to advance and be of service for society as a whole?” and, in that, we share a sense of joint
responsibility and common humanity.
TS:
I have a question for you, Olafur: You talked about the hope that hosting such meetings in
your studio might be a starting point to bring about change and sustained movement in your studio.
Do you have the feeling that this four-day workshop – four intense days – created a ripple effect?
In other words, was it something that changed the way of thinking in the studio?
OE:
Yes. I often invite people to join us from various fields of research – scientists, architects,
dancers, and other practitioners – to learn, be inspired, exchange thoughts. So this in itself wasn’t
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