Public Hearing in the Matter of Hungry Ghosts

This year’s Public Hearing in the Matter of Hungry Ghosts will focus on mapping the different types of compensatory techniques and addictions caused by the broader systemic issues we face as a society.

Let’s try to remember what we do, consciously or unconsciously, as a way of escape, relief, compensation. What things, techniques, practices, strategies bring us short or long term relief from difficult emotions, memories, unmanageable stress, loss of control and connection with others, dissatisfaction with ourselves, long term pressures of our environment? 

“The inhabitants of the hungry ghost realm are depicted as creatures with skinny necks, small mouths, skinny limbs, and large, bloated but empty bellies. This is the realm of addiction, where we are constantly seeking something outside of ourselves to alleviate the insatiable desire for relief and fulfillment, yet this painful emptiness is eternal, for the substances, objects, or activities we seek to fill it with are not what we really need.”
(In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Gabor Maté)

This year’s Public Hearing in the Matter of Hungry Ghosts will focus on mapping the different types of compensatory techniques and addictions caused by the broader systemic issues we face as a society.

The third Public Hearing will present a kaleidoscopic mix of contributions from which a map of systemic oppression and stress that leads to addictions of various types should emerge clearly. This 3-hour specific format of the Anxiety Institute allows for a concentrated focus on the topic being explored through the contributions of the sharers. 

The public hearing will take place in the Erpet Smíchov Centre, an original space of a former sports and entertainment centre from the 1980s, where the contemporary art festival 4 + 4 Days in Motion will be taking place at that time.

Confirmed guests: 
Kristýna Coufalová (ktva), Klára Černá, Denis Červená, Vojtěch Franče, Markéta Garai, Jitka Holasová, Michael Jettmar, Juanita Kansil, Pavel Karous, Vincent Klusák, Tereza Konrádová, Otto Kouwen, Zuzana Křičková, Dominik Lang, Martina Malinová, Sylvester Makov, minuskami (Magdalena Michlová), Johanna Nejedlová, Zuzana Nott, Ela Plíhalová, Eliška Pomyjová, Elian Poslední, Marie-Luisa Purkrábková, Milan Salák, Alex Sihlesk*, Tereza Stejskalová, Magda Šipka, Monika Špoluvá, Jan Těsnohlídek, Adam Tománek, Kateř Tureček, Jen Tyl, Denisa Václavová, Tereza Vandrovcová, Klára Vavříková, Klára Vlasáková, Iva Voldánová, Miloslav Vorlíček a Lenka Vrbová. 

Admission to the event is free. The event will be held in Czech language.

The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the City of Prague.