Move, Mark, Mend: Healing Through Body and Art

This presentation and workshop explore four bodies of work by Maria Barbist: Babylonischer Turm (“Tower of Babel”), a series of tower structures reflecting inner architecture and the movement from fragmentation toward stability; Trauerarbeit (“Grief Work”); Der Grund auf dem ich stehe (“The Ground I Stand On”); and Fallstudie Trauma (“Case Study Trauma”). Together, these works trace a journey from psychological injury toward the rebuilding of a more stable sense of self, viewed through Barbist’s perspective as both a clinician and an artist. The Talk (30 min, including Q&A) An illustrated talk exploring Barbist’s five-stage framework through works from all four series, including earlier pieces from her archive. She will discuss the relationship between her clinical training and studio practice and share new work in progress exploring R.D. Laing’s concept of the divided self. The Workshop (est. 60 min) A hands-on session in which participants explore the same five stages through movement, drawing, and writing. No art or clinical experience is required. Participants will leave with a working sketchbook and their own art supply kit to continue their creative exploration. Identify — Use movement and body mapping to locate and visualize feelings. Confront — Respond through automatic writing and gestural drawing. Release — Explore watercolor and breath-led movement to release tension. Change — Layer oil pastel over watercolor, building new material over the old. Growth — Close with written reflection and an optional group share-out. Maria Theresa Barbist brings together her work as a psychologist and studio artist, allowing the two disciplines to inform one another. Over more than a decade, her sculpture, painting, and mixed-media practice has been shaped by a five-stage psychological framework—Identify, Confront, Release, Change, and Growth—rooted in her 2010 training at the Tamalpa Institute and developed through her ongoing clinical and creative practice.