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Voices #5 with Kai Mantsch: Creating a playful space for boundaries
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Voices #5 with Kai Mantsch: Creating a playful space for boundaries

HAKOMI method
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-4:39

In this session, Kai Mantsch and I delved into the intricacies of somatic mindful work, specifically focusing on the transformative power of the Hakomi method1, Since February 2021, our ongoing sessions have provided me with a conscious space for introspection and evolution.

We reflected on my journey, highlighting the evolution of my relational values. From cultivating playful connections and nurturing deep listening skills to engaging in somatic exercises with a sense of playfulness, each aspect has contributed to my individuation journey.

Our discussion brought light to the significant progress in boundary setting, enhancing my ability to navigate relationships with clarity and assertiveness. The process prompted profound self-reflection on trust and intimacy, marking pivotal strides in my journey toward relational harmony.


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OURANOS ABOVE US ONLY SKY at GRAND CENTRAL Madison

Last Thursday, May 30th, I found myself back in NYC after breaking free from its matrix four years ago. I had a field trip scheduled to oversee the installation of my latest digital commission for the MTA Arts and Design at Grand Central Station. It was a significant day for me, considering my mixed feelings about the city where I lived for 27 years.

My hope for a peaceful experience came to fruition, and I was deeply touched to see my work come alive. Tears welled up in my eyes as I quietly thanked my mother for her lifelong encouragement to take accountability for my happiness.

The title of this 5-screen, 2-minute animation is "Ouranos, above us only sky." Commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison2 it is set to captivate audiences on their expansive screens this summer (June 17th onwards).

Inspired by my studies in praxeology and what defines a civilization, which is based on economic principles and social cooperation, society can be seen as a market economy. Human action, or the purposeful behavior driven by individuals' choices, gives us the capacity to make the right decisions. Its foundations in private property, voluntary exchange, and economic calculation are the keys to prosperity and advancement. Through human action, individuals can harness their creativity, contributing to the flourishing of cultural and intellectual achievements.

My animation reflects this vision, featuring a skyline that blends real historical buildings with unrealized structures, symbolizing the city’s essence and potential.

Drawing inspiration from Johann Bayer’s 1603 star atlas Uranometria, Grand Central's vaulted ceiling adorned with constellations (1913)3, and the visionary architecture of Antonio Sant'Elia’s never-realized buildings "Città Nuova" ("New City"),4 the piece embodies the dynamic interplay of economic and cultural forces that define civilization.

The dynamic cityscape reflects the passage of time and the crystallization of civilization, encouraging contemplation of humanity's creative prowess. These structures mirror our capacity to either create or destroy when given the Promethean fire.

Infused with playfulness, vibrant colors, and ever-shifting geometry, the surreal landscapes prompt introspection about our role in shaping the world and the potential outcomes of our endeavors.

The title pays homage to a couple of wonderful New Yorkers, John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky5.

MONIKA BRAVO: OURANOS ABOVE US ONLY SKY, 2024. 120 seconds, 5 LED screens, animations, color, paper, collage. Commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison
MONIKA BRAVO: OURANOS ABOVE US ONLY SKY, 2024. 120 seconds, 5 LED screens, animations, color, paper, collage. Commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison
MONIKA BRAVO: OURANOS ABOVE US ONLY SKY, 2024. 120 seconds, 5 LED screens, animations, color, paper, collage. Commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison
MONIKA BRAVO: OURANOS ABOVE US ONLY SKY, 2024. 120 seconds, 5 LED screens, animations, color, paper, collage. Commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison
1

Hakomi is a gentle yet powerful experiential psychotherapy that uses mindfulness and somatic interventions to heal attachment wounds and developmental trauma. Created by the internationally renowned therapist and author Ron Kurtz (1934-2011) with assistance from a core group of colleagues, Hakomi draws from General Systems Theory and body-centered therapies. Other inspirations come from Reichian work, Bioenergetics, Gestalt, Psychomotor, Feldenkrais, Structural Bodywork, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Focusing, Neurolinguistic Programming, Buddhism, and Taoism.

The method continues to evolve in response to ongoing discoveries in neuroscience, traumatology, attachment theory, and other related fields. While primarily a method of psychotherapy, Hakomi fits with many mind-body, educational, coaching, and wellness modalities.

2

The screens are situated at the 47th Street entrance of the LIRR concourse.

3

The Grand Central ceiling took dozens of people to create but was primarily the work of five men: architect Whitney Warren, of Warren & Wetmore, the Terminal’s architects, French artist Paul Helleu, muralist J. Monroe Hewlett, and painter Charles Basing of the Hewlett-Basing Studio in Brooklyn, as well as astronomer Dr. Harold Jacoby of Columbia University. Drawing heavily from Johann Bayer’s 1603 star atlas Uranometria for the design of the constellations, the mural was originally painted right onto Grand Central’s plaster vaulted ceiling.

4

Between 1912 and 1914, inspired by the urban landscapes of the United States and architects like Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and Renzo Picasso, Sant'Elia began creating a series of sketches for a futuristic "Città Nuova" ("New City") representing a new era. Many of his drawings were displayed at the sole exhibition of the Nuove Tendenze group, in which he participated, held at the Famiglia Artistica gallery in Milan in May-June 1914. Today, around 170 of his works on paper are permanently exhibited as part of the collection at the Pinacoteca Civica di Palazzo Volpi in Como. Sant'Elia's designs featured expansive monolithic skyscrapers adorned with terraces, bridges, and aerial walkways, reflecting the excitement of modern architecture and technology. However, his monumental style was also influenced by the Art Nouveau architect Giuseppe Sommaruga.

5

Above Us Only Sky reveals the depth of the creative collaboration between John and Yoko on John’s ‘Imagine’ album, bringing the period to life whilst at the same time outlining the relevance of the music and their message to a contemporary audience. The film examines how the art, activism, politics, and music of the pair are intrinsically entwined, with full cooperation from and exclusive access to Yoko Ono and the John Lennon Estate.

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