On Times (Paradise) Lost

The results of a poll conducted in 2020 show that safety at work, in school and in public places is no longer an assumption held by most Europeans. The situation has not gotten better since then, with wars, natural disasters and violent crime wreaking havoc around the world. Art as a form of methodology is now commonplace in different therapeutic settings, after being used as a safe haven and refuge in times of emotional distress throughout human history. Art’s capacity to fabricate new knowledge is crucial in healing processes to both individual and social ends.

Home is a (idea of a) place that gives a sense of protection from harm, a sense of privacy, intimacy, belonging. It is a space where you can recover, be yourself without regard to the opinions of others. When being at or having a home is not an option, we seek refuge elsewhere. Memories of times lived and imaginary settings of times we long for often become a place of refuge in a moment of weakness.

We invite you to use your humanity to imagine the unreal: Find your inner calm, come to terms with circumstances, trust in the inevitable. Try to unravel and adjust to a new reality. Can you find paradise in yourself? The space in front of you will help you find the moments, spaces of paradise, where (when) you feel (felt) safe, careless, loved and, finally, where you will be forgiven.

Remember your lost times and imagine your lost paradise.