THE NEW NEW AGE
– Art, Psychedelics and Neo-shamanism
For the second round of the Distortion Institute we went to Nørrebro, Copenhagen's countercultural stronghold and all-around vibrant multi-ethnic neighbourhood, which provided a fitting backdrop considering Thursday's subversive yet colourful subject matter. Writer and activist Daniel Pinchbeck (Dazed & Confused/Village Voice) was kind enough to travel all the way from New York City to talk about his writing, activism and perspective on psychedelics and Neo-shamanism within contemporary culture, and Danish artist Christian Finne offered his characteristically spaced-out views on the role of the artist as well as the implementation of mind-altering, psychedelic substances in his work.
The yard of Den Økologiske Produktionsskole (The Ecologic Production School) was filled with curious festival goers and quite a few Pinchbeck fans who listened intently as Daniel's talk provided a point of departure for the subsequent dialogue with the audience. All in all, it was a pleasantly trippy Thursday evening in Nørrebro that offered up its fair share of non-conformist ideas and mind-expanding food for thought.
Shout-outs to: co-curator Simon Nygaard from WAS, Den Økologiske Produktionsskole, Christian Finne and Daniel Pinchbeck.