What is the soul? How can you discover it? There are different beliefs, ideas, and hypotheses about this topic, but who has an accurate answer? Some people during their life think about what is the soul, but most of us try to avoid it. Why? Because it’s a challenging topic, difficult to face, that has no correct answers. It makes us question ourselves and our life.
‘Inside the Soul, the Soul Inside’ project is the result of research and reflection on this topic. It is a project that has the aim of helping people to find their answers (in a fun and playful way) to the questions: ‘What is the soul?’ and ‘How to discover and take care of it? It is a card-based game, that takes the players on a journey to discover their soul. It is an opportunity to take a rest from our busy lives and have some time to contemplate and find ourselves.
‘Inside the Soul, the Soul Inside’ is a game created by three elements: a box, a deck made of illustrated cards, and another deck made of transparent cards.
The illustrated deck contains 16 cards. The cards at the front represent different ideas of the soul that Ilaria collected from her research. The back of the cards represents Ilaria’s hypothesis of what the soul is. The transparent card deck contains different cut-out pieces used by the artist to create various illustrations of the soul. With the ladder deck, the players will be able to create an artwork of the soul, as they imagine it, connecting the cut-out pieces.
How to play the game ‘Inside the soul, the soul inside’?
First step:
What is the soul?
Look at the front of the illustrated cards and reflect.
What do the cards represent? Have you ever thought about the soul before?
How could it be represented?
Illustrated cards – Front
Second step:
Turn the illustrated cards over and connect them.
This is “The Queen of Life”: the artist’s vision of the soul.
Thanks to research and deep reflection, Ilaria managed and represented a hypothesis of what the soul is for her.
Illustrated cards – back
Third step:
Now it is time to create your soul!
Choose some of the transparent cards, use them to create your composition, when you are happy with the result close the box. This is your soul!
Repeat this meditational activity as much as you like. It will be interesting to see if your idea of the soul will mutate, or it will remain the same. HAVE FUN!
This project has been created only for didactic purposes
Sources used to create the collages:
Schrader, D. and Green-Armytage, S. (2008). Extraordinary leaves. Buffalo, NY [u.a.]: Firefly.
Mastalia, F. and Pagano, A. (2000). Dreads. New York: Artisan.
Koelbl, H., Schlink, B., Betancourt Nunez, G. and Schuemmer, S. (2007). Hair. Ostfieldern: Hatje Cantz.
Feinstein, H. (n.d.). One hundred butterflies.
Mapplethorpe, R. and Marshall, R. (1991). Robert Mapplethorpe. London: Secker & Warburg.
Martineau, P. and Crump, J. (2012). Herb Ritts – L. A. style. München: Schirmer/Mosel.
Antonelli, P. (1999). Sitting on the edge. New York: Rizzoli.
Celant, G. and Loughridge, D. (2014). Art or sound. Milano: Fondazione Prada.Tarr, P., Miller, A. and Dalva, N. (2004). Dance 2wice. London: Phaidon.Milstein, J., Boyne, W. and Shanberg, A. (2007). AirCraft. New York, NY: Abrams.Baron, F., Demarchelier, P., Sichy, I. and Koons, J. (2011). Dior couture. New York … [et al.]: Rizzoli.Mapplethorpe, R. and Shange, N. (1996). Black book. Boston: Bullfinch Press/Little, Brown.Demarchelier, P. (2012). Dior couture. New York: Rizzoli.Marent, T. and Jackson, T. (2010). Frog. London: Dorling Kindersley.Earley, C. (2015). Weird birds. [United States]: Firefly Books.Stuppy, W., Harley, M. and Kesseler, R. (2012). The bizarre and incredible world of plants. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books.Arthus-Bertrand, Y., Gouraud, J. and Arthus-Bertrand, Y. (n.d.). Horses.Viney, C. (1989). London doors. Harpenden: Oldcastle Books.Stuppy, W., Harley, M. and Kesseler, R. (2012). The bizarre and incredible world of plants. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books.Dzine, Dzine and Dzine (2011). Nailed. Bologna: Damiani.Celant, G. and Mapplethorpe, R. (n.d.). Robert Mapplethorpe.
