GCAS Florence Seminars and Commencement
May 8–16, 2026
Nine Days of Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Art, and Collective Reflection
In May 2026, GCAS returns to Florence for seminars, commencement, conversations, lectures, and collective study led by some of the most compelling thinkers working today. Set against the backdrop of Florence’s Renaissance streets and intimate intellectual spaces, this event brings together scholars, artists, researchers, and members of the public who wish to think deeply about our shared present—and the futures still possible.
Across nine days, participants will engage in morning and afternoon seminars, shared meals, evening dialogues, and a commencement ceremony on May 10. Each seminar approaches the crises and openings of our time through a unique lens: breathing and its negation; poetry as refusal; the infinite power of energy; anarchism and art; psychoanalysis and Buddhism; and postmodernism’s strange afterlives.
Who Should Attend
These seminars are open to GCAS students, scholars across disciplines, artists, writers, activists, and members of the public who want to take part in a rare gathering of intellectual life in one of Europe’s most historic cities. No previous academic affiliation is required—only curiosity, openness, and a willingness to think collectively. If you are planning on attending please complete the registration form below.
Featured Seminars & Faculty
Hover over each card to learn more about the seminar.
Jamieson Webster
“On Not Breathing”
Based on her new book Breathing, this seminar explores the limits, ruptures, and paradoxes of respiration as a psychological, political, and existential act. Webster examines what it means to breathe—and to fail to breathe—in a world shaped by anxiety, suffocation, and the pressures of living.
Franco “Bifo” Berardi
“Poetry as Desertion from History”
Bifo turns to poetry, writing, and art in a moment he describes as an irredeemable human defeat. What is the use of words when history itself feels exhausted? Bifo reimagines poetry as an act of desertion—an exit from the violence of history toward another mode of life.
Clayton Crockett
“Energy and Change”
Drawing from his book, Crockett examines the philosophical and political dimensions of energy—material, psychic, and planetary. The seminar explores how transformations in energy underlie contemporary crises, from ecological collapse to spiritual exhaustion.
Barry Taylor
“Remembering Postmodernism”
Taylor revisits the rise and fall of postmodernism: its myths, ironies, excesses, and forgotten insights. In an age defined by fragmentation, acceleration, and contradictory truths, the seminar asks what postmodernism still offers—and what it obscured.
Francisco González
“The Impossibility of Anarchist Art”
González develops themes from his work on anarchism and aesthetics. Participants will rethink “the concept of Art” as a capitalist concept, exploring how, if anarchism opposes all illegitimate authority, “anarchist art” is a contradiction.
Mario D’Amato
“The Nirvana Principle”
In Freud’s Beyond the Pleasure Principle he uses “the Nirvana Principle” to describe the tendency towards the reduction of all stimulus. Is it not the case that nirvāṇa is described as a cessation, a release of pain? This seminar examines these connections.
Florence Schedule
May 8–16, 2026 · All times are Central European Time (CET)
Week 1: May 8–12
| Day | 10am–12pm | 1pm–3pm | 4pm–6pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, May 8 | Energy and Change Clayton Crockett | Poetry as Desertion Franco Berardi | On Not Breathing Jamieson Webster |
| Sat, May 9 | Energy and Change Clayton Crockett | Poetry as Desertion Franco Berardi | On Not Breathing Jamieson Webster |
| Sun, May 10 | Guest Lectures To Be Announced | 🎓 Commencement 6pm · Reception to follow | |
| Mon, May 11 | Energy and Change Clayton Crockett | Poetry as Desertion Franco Berardi | On Not Breathing Jamieson Webster |
| Tue, May 12 | Energy and Change Clayton Crockett | Poetry as Desertion Franco Berardi | On Not Breathing Jamieson Webster |
Week 2: May 13–16
| Day | 10am–12pm | 1pm–3pm | 4pm–6pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, May 13 | Remembering Postmodernism Barry Taylor | Impossibility of Anarchist Art Francisco González | The Nirvana Principle Mario D’Amato |
| Thu, May 14 | Remembering Postmodernism Barry Taylor | Impossibility of Anarchist Art Francisco González | The Nirvana Principle Mario D’Amato |
| Fri, May 15 | Remembering Postmodernism Barry Taylor | Impossibility of Anarchist Art Francisco González | The Nirvana Principle Mario D’Amato |
| Sat, May 16 | Remembering Postmodernism Barry Taylor | Impossibility of Anarchist Art Francisco González | The Nirvana Principle Mario D’Amato |
Closing Reception — Saturday, May 16 following the final sessions
Schedule is tentative and subject to change.