Les Thermes – Intervention by Pierfrancesco Basile
Les Thermes is a large wooden pool with 25,000 plastic balls that invites you to take a moral bath in Stoic philosophy. You can either enjoy a free swim in the pool or visit one of the interventions in which various guests apply Stoic principles to the themes of the festival and provide further food for thought and discussion.
Pierfrancesco Basile studied philosophy in Bologna, then earned his doctorate and habilitation in Bern; research activities have taken him to the USA and Scotland. His main interests are the history of philosophy, metaphysics and the philosophy of language. His most recent books published in German are "Pragmatismus und analytische Philosophie" (Beck, 2014) and "Antike Philosophie" (UTB, 2021). From the Stoics he appreciates, among other things, the following maxim: "One must always bear in mind what is the nature of the whole and what is my own" (Marcus Aurelius).
Other activities in «Les Thermes»:
THUR 11.5. | 18:30–19:00 | Intervention by Halory Goerger, France Distraction
FRI 12.5. | 00:00–03:30 | Midnight bathing with sound by Tyra Wigg
SUN 14.5. | 18:00–18:30 | Intervention by Andrea Jäggi-Staudacher, FutureDeathLab, Farewell Spaces
TUE 16.5. | 18.00–18:30 | Intervention by Celin Sithy Fässler, back to the roots
SUN 21.5. | 17:00–17:30 | Intervention by Sascha Rijkeboer
Information
Entry and exit can be difficult for people with mobility impairments. If you need assistance getting in or out of the pool, please contact the pool guides on site.
Translation into sign language
The intervention will be translated from German spoken language into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS). Interpreter: Käthi Schlegel
For people with vision disabilities
The lecture is comprehensible without the visual layer. The Festival Centre is equipped with tactile ground surface indicators. If you need assistance getting in or out of the pool, please contact the pool guides on site.
Relaxed Performance
The lecture is relaxed. The audience is not expected to sit completely still. The audience is allowed to come and go during the lecture. There are no loud noises.
The lecture lasts 30 minutes and has no interval
There is a relaxed space in the Festival Centre where you can retreat at any time. This is accessible as soon as the Festival Centre is open. The relaxed space is signalled and there are visual protections around it. It contains a sofa, a few beanbags, dimmed lights and sensory tools.
Social Story
Social Stories are used as a tool to prepare people for public events such as theatre performances. In our Social Stories you will find a description for each performance, what situation to expect at the venue and what customs apply there. You can find the PDF for the Social Story (in German) of «Les Thermes» here.
Free entry
- With
- Pierfrancesco Basile, Private lecturer in philosophy, University of Bern