

LIMINAL CAFE #14 - Rufus, Sylvie & the Art of the Second Renaissance
14 snips Jun 30, 2025
Rufus Pollock, founder of Open Knowledge, and Sylvie Barbier, a French-Taiwanese performance artist, dive into the concept of a 'Second Renaissance.' They discuss how art can transform communities and the necessity of cultural activism during a meta-crisis. The duo envisions a new artistic manifesto that intertwines art with spirituality for emotional and societal healing. They also explore the evolution of storytelling, emphasizing modern narratives' relevance to contemporary issues like care and environmental consciousness, advocating for collective action and community building.
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Life Itself's Pragmatic Utopian Vision
- Life Itself aims to foster a new paradigm through pragmatic utopian actions and radical cultural change.
- It combines concrete initiatives like co-living hubs with broader movement-building to birth a wiser world vision.
Mapping and Naming the New Paradigm
- Mapping the emerging ecosystem helps clarify the interconnected movements like integral, metamodernism, and psychedelics.
- The term 'Second Renaissance' signals a transformative period between worlds, evoking rebirth amid breakdown.
The Wisdom Crisis in Modern Culture
- People seeking change recognize the insufficiency of intelligence alone and prioritize wisdom to match advancing technology.
- There's a growing desire to value life, presence, and relationships over material or superficial success.