My perspective on the urban and its development comes from my experience as an art activist, community facilitator, and resident of various cities.

In the last 10 years my main focus has been the disparities and injustices which constrain our daily lives in areas such as housing, co-housing, and public and shared space. Recently my attention has shifted toward the intimate: the effects of capitalism on our bodies, minds and spirits.

In recent times, big corporations, online platforms, virtual events and phenomena have expanded their domain of influence not only on our spaces and the way we live, but also on our intimate sphere(s). This development has been reinforced by major events such as the pandemic we are currently experiencing.

It is alas obvious that we are regimented from morning to night. On top of our normal respect for laws and civic rules, we have to fill in paper and online forms, to log in, to download applications. The current crisis has piled on an extra load of restrictive duties, which impacts many aspects of our personal and intimate lives, such as the way we gather and socialise with friends and family, share knowledge, care for our bodies, breathe, make physical contact, experience pleasure, affection, sacred moments, etc.

We are all moving toward a change of epic proportions without knowing what the end result will be. There is not just one enemy to combat, not just one right to fight for. We are all affected on an intimate level, we constantly live in state of emergency, we are unable to plan, we fear the worst coming around any corner.

I regard this special time as rich in its capacity to teach us. It is crucial to look at how the human species reacts to the new planetary configuration made of the very schematic structures and predefined patterns which concern the living. It is also of vital importance to discern the emergence of reformulated safe spaces in which there is the possibility of re-appropriating the intimate, which in my view is a fundamental step toward the reconstruction of a possible future.

I would therefore like to publish seven statements in the form of audio contributions about how the persistence of different practices concerning our more intimate life and bodies is manifested.

With this audio material, I don’t intend to map out a path, draw any conclusion, or create a new theory; I just would merely like to share various perspectives on these interesting times.

Another consideration:

Tibetan Buddhism believes human existence is a cycle. We touch the bottom by reincarnating and we rise again by redeeming our past actions. If we manage to clean all our karma, we can break through the cycles and attain real freedom. This spiritual and philosophical concept centres on the individual being, but I would like to apply this way of perceiving existence to the evolution of our entire species as humans and non-humans. Did we touch just the bottom of one of the many cycles we have to go through, or can this tragic and apparently hopeless moment be considered a decisive time to rise, redeem our past, and build a future free society?