NATASZA DEDDNER
conceptual artist
Scholê Kosmía — σχολή κοσμία
The Free Space of Thought of the World
Perception + Thinking + Self Understanding = Development
- Perception opens access to the world
- Philosophy creates the space of reflection
- Self understanding forms the foundation for attitude and action
- Social development emerges from this movement
Scholê Kosmía emerges from a long term exploration of the conditions of human existence and the social, cultural, and political structures through which reality is formed and within which human beings act. At its centre are questions concerning human self understanding, the formation and transformation of identity, the relationship between human beings and systems, the meaning of dignity within fragmented societies, and the conditions through which perception is shaped.
These questions form the space in which I think, work, and exist. My artistic work moves within social and political realities. It examines structures, makes their effects visible, and opens spaces for reflection. It is a form of ethical engagement with the world: an investigation of relationships, an openness toward questions, and a movement toward deeper perception. From this attitude, Scholê Kosmía developed as an overarching space of thought and experience. The name combines the ancient Greek meaning of scholê as a free space of thinking, reflection, and intellectual development with kosmía as an order emerging from awareness, attitude, and relationship with the world. Scholê Kosmía describes a space in which perception, thinking, and self understanding are interconnected. It is a process that continuously develops through artistic practice, reflection, encounter, and research.
The original meaning of scholê refers to the conditions required for thought itself: time, space, and freedom. This idea is transferred into a contemporary global context and expanded through four archetypal forms:
Agora
Open encounter as the foundation of dialogue, exchange, and collective thinking.
Plato’s Academy
The question as a method of knowledge and a space of intellectual development.
Aristotle’s Lyceum
Thinking as movement, in which knowledge emerges through processes.
The Stoic School
Work on the self as the foundation of attitude and action.
These historical references serve as resonant spaces for a contemporary practice. Encounter, questioning, movement, and attitude are transferred into the present. Self understanding is understood as a continuous movement. It connects inner perception with external dialogue and forms the basis for conscious action. From this perspective emerges a form of thinking that connects experience, reflection, and responsibility. Scholê Kosmía creates spaces for perception, reflection, and encounter. It invites people to expand perspectives, question habitual patterns, and develop their own attitude.
Art is a significant form of expression within this process. It reveals hidden relationships, opens spaces of perception, and enables processes of understanding beyond established ways of seeing.
A central foundation is an attitude based on tolerance, acceptance, and respect:
- Tolerance opens the space for diversity
- Acceptance deepens the encounter with the other
- Respect creates connection and enables shared action
Scholê Kosmía understands itself as a living space of development that grows through projects, encounters, reflection, and diverse forms of expression. It connects artistic practice with a broader social context and creates a space in which perception can deepen and dialogue can emerge.
The purpose of Scholê Kosmía lies in the development of awareness, perception, inner attitude, and human integrity.
A change of perspective begins with self recognition.
From self recognition emerge perception and judgement.
From judgement emerges the ability to act freely.