Welcome!
In this short talk I would like to reflect on the reason why we are not attracted to certain works of art,
Why we dislike them,
Have an aversion of them,
And why we don't seem to be able to get in contact with them.
It happens spontaneously,
At first glance,
Even before our minds start to get involved.
That's because it happens unconsciously,
And then we think that it's our mind that has a reason why we behave this way.
It will tell us that the work is ugly,
Not well made,
Does not have a positive or nice subject,
Is aggressive in nature,
And so on.
Or it will simply tell us I don't understand that kind of work and that's why I don't want to experience it.
These kinds of reactions also happen in everyday life.
A person we don't like at first glance,
A situation we disapprove of as soon as we notice it.
How do you usually respond?
We respond by disapproving of it,
Turning away,
Or ignoring it.
It goes faster than light.
There is no interaction of the mind at a time.
These reactions arise from an unconscious attitude,
And yet our mind will perfectly justify our behavior.
Let's imagine a situation.
Imagine entering an exhibition and noticing a work of art that stands out because of color,
Shape,
Or sound that makes you uncomfortable.
You probably will glance at it,
But won't get closer and certainly won't spend time experiencing it.
You will turn away and probably will not turn back and question your reaction.
It's classified.
But there is more to it than just classifying that work.
What happens at that moment is that the expression of dislike and the feeling or emotion connected to it will be added to the amount of dislikes you have gathered over time.
It will deepen your behavior and will be used in new situations.
The moment I realized that,
I got curious and started investigating on that behavior.
Why do we react so strongly to a work of art,
Whether it concerns visual art,
Performance,
Sound art?
There is no danger and nothing threatens you.
A reaction that is too strong compared to the situation that provokes it is hiding something.
You can be sure that there is something to discover within yourself.
If we could lift the veil,
We would see that these reactions originate in our shadow parts.
The big and small traumas of our past,
Things we inherited from our family,
Our culture,
Behaviors we take over from our social environment.
But we are not conscious of them,
Or maybe we know about our upbringing and are experts in covering up and working around the parts we don't want to face.
But in fact,
Exactly a situation like this is an interesting and safe opportunity to learn something about ourselves.
And in that sense,
It's less confrontational to have a second look at an object or a performance and take time to reflect on it than with a person you met and where your energy spoke volumes.
Wouldn't it be great if you could gain insight into your attitude and let go of your routine behavior?
That you can reach a point where you can encounter something outside your comfort zone with an open mind and curiosity?
There is an elegant way to start connecting with that unconscious behavior.
It's called mindfulness.
It means remember to observe.
To observe means to notice carefully.
It encompasses observing an entire situation,
You as a creator,
The trigger,
In this case a work of art,
And emotion or feeling.
Observing meaning accepting everything as it is.
It's good to quote John Kapatsian on this point.
He makes an important remark on the term mind.
He says,
In Asian languages,
The word for mind and the word for heart are the same word.
So when we hear the word mindfulness,
We have to inwardly also hear heartfulness in order to grasp it even as a concept and especially as a way of being.
Being mindful is related to our heart-mind,
Not to our thinking mind.
But I don't need to mention that mindfulness is not evident when we are in a state of unconscious reaction,
A reaction confirmed by our thinking mind.
So if we desire to allow ourselves a moment of encounter with a work of art that we dislike for whatever reason,
How do we get along?
As soon as we notice that we are in a state of non-accepting and not being open to what is being presented to us at the moment,
We should try to interrupt that flow.
That first step could be concentrating on our breathing,
Even for a moment.
That will create space so we are no longer glued to our reaction.
And in that space we can start to look at the situation,
At ourselves,
The object of our reaction and our reaction.
We don't have to change anything,
Simply noticing and accepting what happens.
Maybe that's all we can afford at the time,
But that's already a big step forward.
When there is space,
We can start to reflect upon the situation.
And the kind of questions you may ask are,
For instance,
What in the work of art triggers me in such a way that I don't want to experience it?
Where in my body do I feel it?
Of what does it remind me?
Why does it make me react that way?
What am I not willing to feel in the past and in the present?
What memories lying unconscious in my body got activated in this encounter?
And can I break apart the past experience and the actual encounter?
That way you can make an initial connection with the behavior that was probably helpful in the past but no longer serves you.
The moment you become aware of such triggers and reactions,
You will be alert when similar situations arise.
And if over time that attitude can develop into an openness to accept ourselves the way we are,
Things can change and it will feel like an expanded comfort zone.
And there are two positive sides to that.
On the one hand,
There will still be works you don't like,
But at least you can be open and curious.
That's a much more fruitful way to interact with objects and situations and persons that are outside our comfort zone.
And on the other hand,
It's precisely this type of encounters that offers the opportunity for personal growth.
Being mindful and curious makes life much more joyful.
I wish you many interesting encounters and the strength to experience them.
Thank you for listening.
Many blessings.
Thank you.
