A talk by Pamela Breda, followed by discussion

Summary:
This talk investigates cinema as a modern ritual form, where the experience of watching a film unfolds as a transformative encounter with the sacred. Drawing on film theory, anthropology, and philosophy, Pamela Breda examines how cinematic language and spectatorship mirror ritual structures, offering a space for catharsis, reflection, and collective meaning-making.

In the Seeing, 3.30pm – 4.45pm

Film showing

A contemplative documentary that follows the life and practice of a contemporary tarot reader. The film captures the textures of mantic practice in today’s world, where ancient divinatory traditions intertwine with modern sensibilities. In the Seeing reflects on how symbols, chance, and ritual continue to shape the ways individuals seek knowledge, orientation, and meaning.
“Symbols, Fates and Knowledges: Perspectives on the History of Tarot and Divination as Cultural and Imaginal Practice”, 5pm – 6.30pm

A workshop run by Simona Molino

An interdisciplinary exploration of the tarot as both historical artifact and cultural practice. The session traces their origins in Renaissance Italy, their esoteric reinvention in the modern era, and their contemporary uses in art, therapy, and spirituality. Combining historical and anthropological perspectives, the discussion reflects on divination as a means of negotiating uncertainty and constructing meaning, concluding with a collective imaginal exercise using tarot cards as symbolic triggers for self-reflection.

Pamela Breda is a filmmaker and researcher based between Vienna and Venice. She is currently senior postdoc at Linz Art University (Austria) and Professor at Arts University Bornemouth (UK). She was appointed artist and fellow in residence at several international art institutions, including Villa Medici (Rome), Cité Internationale Des Arts (Paris, F), Pratt Institute (New York, USA). Her films have been screened internationally and presented at festivals and art venues such as “SheffieldDocFest” (UK), “ECRA Film Festival” (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), “Revolutions Per Minute Festival” (Boston, USA), “Vision Du Reel” Film Festival, Media Library (Nyon, CH), “Hazel Eye Film Festival” (Tennesse, USA).

Simona Molino is a researcher and anthropologist from the University of Turin (Italy). Her work explores divination as a symbolic and relational practice, bridging anthropology, poetics, and sound. She is also a poet and musician, engaging with the intersections between knowledge, experience, and imaginations.