Our resource pages feature in-depth research developed by Blessed Foundation. From recordings of conferences and seminars, to open source tools and data.
In collaboration with AI Programmer, Qibin Cheng, a new language model was trained on a personal dataset developed by the artist Maja Smrekar, focusing on emotion such as pain and trauma that are often censored by mainstream AI chatbots. The process was captured by Cheng in a study ‘Tokens and Tensors: A nice and complete guide to building a text generation model’.
This talk exploring AI and psychedelics took place on 30th May 2024 in conjunction with RAPTURE, an exhibition on show at Blessed Foundation from 16th May to 27th June 2024. Speakers: Shaneihu Yawanawá, Utxi Yawanawá, Yawatume Yawanawá, Maria Fernanda Gebara, Neşe Devenot, Andrea Khôra, & Sylwia Serafinowicz.
During their stay in London, we were honored to be joined by Yawatume, Utxi, and Shaneihu from the Yawanawá in Brazil. Shaneihu is the chief of the Yawarani village, where he often receives small groups from Brazil and abroad for spiritual learning and healing. Utxi stands as a beacon for the preservation and continuation of the Yawanawá traditions. He works with his wife, Yawatume, to keep the Yawanawá traditions alive - conducting sacred ceremonies, offering healing, and sharing the invaluable Yawanawá traditional knowledge with both the younger generation and visitors to the village. In addition to crafting exquisite traditional handworks, and making paintings, a vital part of Yawatume’s work is preserving the Yawanawá language.
Maria Fernanda Gebara is a writer, scientist and lecturer from Brazil, who has worked extensively with indigenous peoples to support their traditions and disseminate their knowledge. Maria has been working with indigenous elders from the Yawanawá to register their knowledge before it is lost, by supporting them to create a local knowledge and ethno-cultural-botanic center in the Yawarani village.
Neşe Devenot, PhD (they/she) is a Senior Lecturer in the University Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University. A reformed "psychedelic cheerleader," Neşe is now a prominent critic of the psychedelic industry and its associated hype. Their scholarship explores the intersections between health humanities, psychedelic bioethics, and comparative literature, and their book project — on the literary devices that often structure psychedelic experiences — is under contract with Columbia University Press. Their work was a major influence on Andrea’s video work, RAPTURE.
DEEP-DIVE is a series of public talks, each delving deeper into a specific topic already highlighted by a project at Blessed Foundation, enabling the nuances of important questions to be explored. Drawing on experts from various fields and diverse perspectives, DEEP-DIVE talks complement projects and issues analysed by artists, researchers and creators at Blessed Foundation.
