ON AN ADVENTURE TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OF ART AND WHAT IT MEANS AT COLLEGIUM VOCALE CRETE SENESI: THE ANNUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL UNDER THE ARTISTIC DIRECTION OF PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE IN THE BEAUTIFUL REGION OF THE CRETE SENESI IN TUSCANY, ITALY.

"The concerts take place in small but marvelous churches, chosen because of their appropriate acoustics for the repertoire. On dream locations such as the churches of Santo Stefano (Castelmuzio), Sant’Anna in Camprena (Pienza) and San Francesco (Asciano) both music lovers and performers can discover the Crete Senesi, one of the most beautiful and authentic regions of Europe, situated near well known cities such as Florence, Siena, Montepulciano or Montalcino, and amidst one of the most prestigious wine areas of Italy.

The international level of the performances and the perfect marriage between the beautiful landscapes and a culture going back to the Etruscan era, make this festival a unique experience for both the Italian and international public. Besides concerts with top soloists and experienced musicians from my own ensembles, the Accademia also aims to give opportunities to new talent. The programme is wide but high-level and spans ‘five centuries of contemporary music’, presented in a new and refreshing guise.” - Philippe Herreweghe

We, humans, can time travel. We are able to look into the past and imagine how the future would look like. This is called Chronesthesia in the field of neuroscience. However, we also know that there is a physical start and end date. The day we are born and the day we die. So what most of us realize, unconsciously or not, is that we want to live further. Virtually, because it will be in another form or context. Due to that mental time travel phenomenon, this can be one of the reasons for the major part of our society to create something like art, music but also a reason to write a book (or writing this story) to take pictures and even to have children. To give something back to the next generation and literally live further and create culture.

I believe that art is a universal way of communicating. Hence, it is possible to share a message through making art without taking into account relational, situational and language contexts since it is transversal. Moreover, art is also able to create new contexts and most importantly it creates the cultural context.

Like installing boxes in your brain and put data in it, that is called culture. The things we know, but art is not about thinking in that boxes of what we know but about the things we don't know. When art gives you the feeling of uncertainty you are experiencing art and where the real meaning of arts begins.

It's another grammar that helps you stop thinking in boxes of things that you already know. Sometimes, you just have to wait when it appears to you and let yourself experience a phenomenon. Everyone experiences this differently.

That's why art is subjective and why it is different for every person. It's possible that it appears to you but triggers a different reaction with other people. But that’s not interesting to discuss. Me as a subject that is confronted with why it appears. That's interesting.

Being touched by your heart is being touched by your brain.
In other words, beauty is intelligence. 

The ideology behind art is to let it be pure and let the emotions come from art itself to the individual. It comes to you when it wants. When depends on your worldview. Your inception opens up when you are in a new territory. The same thing happens when art comes at you. At that moment, you are a recipient in this world. Thanks to the result of all your previous experiences. Just like the meaning of a chair is different for me than for you. It’s the same with colors. They can have a different meaning for every individual.

When art comes at you, it's not art anymore, it's a new paradigm that opens up. That's why art can be the best instrument or microscope to discover your inner life.

Art is called art if it is in a temporary phase and it makes a piece innovative when it creates a new paradigm and sets a new norm or standard for a large group of people, just like any innovation in other fields. 

In history, people invented the piano and experienced it just like we experienced the invention of the computer. 

But art can also be dark. That's why some people call the sublime something beautiful mixed with terror.

What does art mean to you?