Festival della Mente » 2017

Event #33

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 10:20:06 +0000

In the sphere of social work – the varied collection of experiences in the Third sector: volunteering, social cooperation, social entrepreneurship, social awareness associations – reference is constantly made to the need for creating networks; often, however, there’s the impression that this intention does not exceed expectation. What seems to be missing are the research and the qualification of shared general objectives, capable of determining structural changes. Therefore, the issue is linked to the perception organizations have of their own role: important players capable of providing answers to the needs of the weak, but who perhaps are hesitant to consider their work as essential in reinforcing community culture and qualifying social capital. In other words, reluctant to consider themselves as subjects capable of a political dimension.

Event #3

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 10:14:07 +0000

Eros is a hunter. He drives prey into Aphrodites’ “inescapable net”, as Ibycus states in one of his poems, while Saffo most eloquently depicts her net and the feelings of those trapped within it: eyes without sight, ears buzzing, sweat flowing, tremors. For the net of the aphrodisia – that is, the aphrodisiac desires that sent Helen into confusion at the sight of Paris and made Zeus into an indomitable predator – is a “steep and irresistible” trap, as Hesiodus wrote of the gift sent to humans by the gods through Pandora’s vase. At the time, Plato judged it the most potent among those present in the human soul, and chose it for this reason: an invincible net for capturing the young and spurring them to the soul’s liberation. But how does one free a trapped soul?

Event #32

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 10:11:59 +0000

The power of attraction social networks have on teenagers is apparent to all. But what impact does obsessive familiarity with new technologies and digital modes of communication have on our complex systems of emotional bonds? What consequences emerge when non-verbal language seems to take second place to verbal communication? Moreover, does these kids’ need to share every experience and emotion undermine the space of individual processing? A perspective of this order can and must be expanded towards the relationship between the world of adults and the world of teenagers. What actions should be imagined in the field of education? Faced with the Web’s pervasiveness and dominance, will adults remain mere spectators, just as spellbound as they?

Event #31

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:58:01 +0000

It was 1866 when Gregor Mendel first published his research on the laws governing the transmission of hereditary traits from one generation to the next. The article went mostly unnoticed, to be rediscovered in 1900. An event which set off exceptional discoveries and the birth of new fields of research: genetics and molecular biology. The development of these sciences has allowed us to gain basic knowledge of the biological structures and functions of living beings, and opened up the possibility of manipulating the genome, one of the most extraordinary advancements in current research. The ability to act on the level of essential biological mechanisms marks the beginning of a new and delicate phase of knowledge, destined to cause changes in terms of concepts and culture and to spur crucial questions both in ethics and politics.

Event #29

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:45:38 +0000

In the past, human intelligence was described as a symmetrical constellation of so-called higher cognitive faculties, such as language, attention or calculus. Today we speak of “asymmetrical” intelligence when the functions of a specific cerebral network appear to be strained, while others fall within the norm or above it. This is the case for dyslexia, which is characterized by a selective difficulty in processing the written language. These ailments are often the result of “neurodiversity”, that is, a simple variation in the efficiency of different neural networks which is exhibited through asymmetrical intelligence; such neurodiversity, often associated with abilities that are suitable for a technologically-developed world, should be given more value within the school, work and social systems.

Event #28

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:33:15 +0000

A dialogue between two authors on the infinite weave of family webs is the same as letting a pair of kids into a toy store. Paternity, maternity, brotherhood and sisterhood are systems that have allowed every possible story to be told. Matters ordinarily extraordinary, that for the past few millennia have magically opened the doors of narration. Cain and Abel are brothers, just like the brothers Karamazov or the Tanners. The sisters who strive for Moscow are three just like the Brontës who strived for immortality. Aravind Adiga and Marcello Fois consider the web of family relations a cornerstone in their method of storytelling. In their most recent novels, children of intrusive parents must set off defensive processes that trigger conflicts both shouted and, especially, terribly silent.

Event #41

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:26:01 +0000

The kidnapping and killing of Aldo Moro represent the most striking action committed by revolutionary terrorists in Europe during the second half of the 20^th century. The offenders were a unit of militants from the Red Brigades who had bases, shelters and supporters at their disposal in the heart of the capital, and access to weapons, vehicles with fake plates and military uniforms: a clandestine network so efficient as to fuel all sorts of conspiracy theories in the years to come, attempting to explain something incredible.

Event #27

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:25:03 +0000

Premiering at Festival della Mente, a documentary devoted to the character and works of Umberto Fiori, a rigorous interpreter of our era’s unrest, in a strong connection between poetry and music where words take center stage. Directed by Giovanni Bonoldi and Massimo Cecconi, the film – part of the collection «Gente di Milano» – features significant accounts from composer Luca Francesconi, actor Moni Ovadia and the painter Marco Petrus, who have shared important artistic and cultural projects with Fiori. The event’s duration is 75 minutes.

Event #59

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:22:14 +0000

workshop
ages 7 to 11
60 minutes
25 participants

With a nod to Dadaists and the figure of Hedy Lamarr – the Hollywood actress who invented the basis for wireless technology, as remembered in the book Cattive ragazze (Sinnos, 2013) – we will use images, words and recycled materials creatively to follow the paths of our imagination and build wireless webs.

Event #57

Festival della Mente — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 09:22:03 +0000

workshop
ages 10 to 14
60 minutes
20 participants

Would you like to put yourself in a detective’s shoes on the scene of a crime? Supported by our intuition and employing statistics and IT, we will collect data and turn available elements into clues, embarking on a “logical-rational” journey in search for an imaginary culprit.