On 30 May, Kunsthuis Syb invites you to a participatory day with artist and constellation facilitator Erika Sprey, inspired by Winnie Herbstein’s exhibition We Need to Speak About Living Room. Through the method of systemic constellations, we will explore the often invisible patterns that shape how we share homes, care, and lives.

Systemic constellations (also known as “family constellations”) is a method developed in the late twentieth century by the German missionary Bert Hellinger, drawing on ideas of kinship, space, and ancestry partly inspired by Zulu traditions - influences that contemporary practitioners are increasingly working to acknowledge more explicitly as part of decolonising the practice. At its core, the method uses bodies, spatial relations, and perception to trace the dynamics within the systems we are part of.

Over the past decades, constellation work has expanded far beyond the nuclear family into many different social contexts. In this workshop, we will explore questions and tensions that can emerge in any form of cohabitation.

The day will unfold organically, shaped by the experiences and input of those present. After a short introduction to the method, participants will be guided through visualisations and group exercises that help develop awareness of what bodies can perceive beyond language. Together, we will reflect on the patterns that shape relationships in shared homes, friendships, work environments, and society at large, opening space for exchange, reflection, and new perspectives.

No prior experience with constellation work is required, and there is no expectation of personal disclosure. You are welcome to participate as actively or as observantly as feels right for you. Lunch is provided for all participants.

The event is bilingual (Dutch and English) and requires signing up. You can do so here.

Programme
11:00 - Welcome
11:15  - Introduction of the exhibition by Winnie Herbstein
11:30  - Introduction and guided visualisation with Erika Sprey
12:00 - 13:00 - First constellation session
13:00 - 14:00 - Lunch
14:00 - 15:00 - Second session
15:15 - 16:15 - Third session

Erika Sprey is an artist, researcher and curator based in Brussels. Her work brings together art, philosophy, activism and alternative ways of knowing. She facilitates group processes and works with systemic constellations, focusing on relational dynamics and collective processes.

Sprey also collaborated closely with Winnie Herbstein on the film We Need to Speak About Living Room, currently on view in the exhibition at Kunsthuis Syb.