Atelier n. 4 by Matlakas
Channel: Matlakas
Date: 24/09/2022

Atelier N.4
Atelier N.4” is a practice I wanted to make possible because it shows clearly that from the simple interaction of two people having a conversation something new can come out:
New ideas, new concepts, but also its opposite: disagreement which sometimes takes us to yet new understandings.
The set up for this work was very new to me, I had to face many new technical challenges and learn to use technological devices I had never used before but that had always desired to play with. Despite my lack of musical ability I decided to have a few instruments in the atelier so that I could fulfil my deepest desires when I was on my own or when I felt confident in front of the participants, and create a stimulating environment during each session. A sentence in the Tibetan book of living and dying, inspired me to experiment with my music skills and be inspired: ”Remember, you can do nothing to inspire the person in front of you if you do not inspire yourself first” (Sogyal Rinpoche, 1993).
Atelier n.4 was very complex since I needed to take so many decisions,
each choice was considered thoroughly before implementation. Before entering the room, participants had to listen to the pre-recorded message (please insert Cd and listen to the track Atelier n.4.wav). The voice, sounds and pauses were carefully cogitated in order to give a suggestive introduction to Atelier n.4. To make it possible I asked a friend of mine who is a musician, to read the text I wrote and add sound to it. 
The Participants had to choose one card from the four at their disposal: “Equality, Death, God and Freedom”. 
I assume that the pre-recorded introduction prepared the participants quite well, although I observed that some of them still needed instructions when they entered the room. But it worked well since my role was to talk and listen to people anyway,it did not effect the strength of the work in my opinion. An artist who thoroughly inspired me in regards to “sharing knowledge” is Rainer Ganhal. Although his approach is focussed on learning new languages mine is more pendent to intuitive learning, points of view or beliefs. I wanted to use Atelier n.4 as an “Incubator for transformation”; Rather than me being the artist giving my view on a certain topic: each member of the audience created it with me, using speech as the main media but also pen, paper and clay. I felt as if I myself were a piece of clay modelled by many people.
Witnessing together the creative process, a process described by Baudelaire as a “duel” (Walter Bejamin), whereas, I rather see it as a dance: the dance of life that we learn step by step, as a life project. William Kaizen (2005), talking about Rainer Ganhal, writes: “His work acknowledges that learning has never finished”. His work also focussed on the fact that there is no teacher and person taught, learning is an act of sharing.
When I am in deep connection with the other person, there is no such role as teacher and pupil, we become one with the experience of knowledge.
Sogyal Rinpoche (1993), reminds us that: “if we can recognise the wisdom of our very own mind, there is no difference between perceiver and perceived, and this is an experience of non duality”.
My aim with Atelier N.4 is to achieve a sort of liberation through a creative talk. During the four days I had some kinds of sparks of liberation with some members of the audience whereas it was very hard with some others. However, this is exactly the process intended, the project of Atelier n.4 showed the two faces of the same coin, as it is supposed to be. Moreover, my role is accepting that it cannot always be smooth, and that the struggle is part of any long journey. In my work an element of surprise is omnipresent, not directly and exclusively to others but firstly towards myself. The conversations were also relayed outside the room, so that people could hear it in some parts of the building.