As 2021 comes to an end, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the past year’s events and express our gratitude to everyone who contributed along the way.

Alicia Keys performing live at Superblue Miami, December 1, 2021.

Working in partnership with so many distinguished institutions—from Superblue, Serpentine, MindMaze, SUGi, IKEM, University of Greifswald, Manchester International Festival to Design Miami/, and all our collaborators during La Biennale Architettura—we are proud to have supported the realisation of a wide range of projects that crystalise our mission of expanding wellbeing culture.

The year kicked off with the exciting news of our new-found partnership with Superblue, marking the beginning of a strategic alliance between our institutions to support the realisation of the world’s most innovative, interactive experiences to foster social awareness, exchange, and impact. Expanding on the partnership, Therme Art joined Superblue’s Board of Directors to provide increased strategic and programmatic resources.

Therme Mind, Therme Group’s new joint venture with neuroscience pioneer MindMaze, was announced during the Spring with the mission to integrate MindMaze’s groundbreaking neuroscience technology into Therme’s holistic approach to wellbeing. Under their joint initiative ‘MYND’, Therme Mind adapts MindMaze’s medical-grade neurotechnology for application in architecture, design, and arts projects, with the aim to create healing spaces for mental and physical wellbeing.

Taking MYND a step further and announcing the launch of a news series of experiential programmes, Therme Mind joined efforts again with Superblue during Miami Art Week in December to present Secret Soirée, a one-night-only performance by Alicia Keys, an active advocate of mental health and meditation.

Therme Mind Collaborates on Shy Synchrony at Design Miami/ Basel 2021

During Design Miami/ Basel 2021, Therme Mind collaborated on activations for Shy Synchrony, an interactive installation by DRIFT presented by Superblue. Using MYND’s technology, the artwork’s choreographed movements were correlated with visitors’ neural activity, leading them into deeper states of consciousness and wellbeing.

The topic of using art and architecture to create spaces where healing is prioritised was explored in depth at Design Miami/ Basel during our Wellbeing Culture Forum talk, “Art and Architecture as Healing: Shaping a Mental Health Economy”, co-moderated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, featuring artist Lonneke Gordijn of DRIFT, neuroscientist Olaf Blanke, wellbeing expert Franziska Kessler, along with artists Precious Okoyomon and Torkwase Dyson.

Tinie Tempah performing during COMMUNION at the 20th Serpentine Pavilion

During Frieze in London, MYND partnered with Serpentine Galleries and MYTH to present COMMUNION, a one-night-only event that featured live performances by Tinie Tempah and ENNY. A series of Wellbeing Culture Forum talks with Dumi Oburota, Yomi Adegoke, Sumayya Vally, Torkwase Dyson, Priya Ahluwalia, and Hans Ulrich Obrist expanded on the Pavilion’s themes of community, belonging, and gathering.

COMMUNION took place inside the Serpentine Pavilion designed by Counterspace, led by architect Sumayya Vally, which was acquired by Therme Group in June, marking the third consecutive year in support of the renowned architecture programme.

“Today I Feel Like… Manchester,” a Jeppe Hein project at Manchester International Festival 2021

Meanwhile, over the summer in Manchester, Therme Art partnered with Manchester International Festival to present Today I Feel Like…Manchester, a commissioned project by Jeppe Hein that engaged with local school children through an artistic workshop that invited them to explore their wellbeing. The resulting artworks were displayed at the festival and will be on permanent display at Therme Manchester, Therme Group’s new wellbeing resort that was granted planning permission last year. The participatory project was conceived to create a permanent link between Therme Manchester and the young people in the community that it will serve.

Wellbeing Culture Forum | La Biennale di Venezia 2021 speakers

During La Biennale Architettura 2021, Therme Art was proud to partner with the British Council, Prof. Stefano Mancuso’s Florence-based think-tank Pnat, and artist Sissel Tolaas to support three exhibitions across the 17th International Architecture Exhibition. In the British Pavilion, we supported the exhibition The Garden of Privatised Delights, co-curated by Madeleine Kessler and Manijeh Verghese (Unscene Architecture); in the Italian Pavilion, we supported Pnat’s Mutual Aid installation as part of the exhibition Resilient Communities; and in the Giardini’s Central Pavilion, we supported Tolaas’ immersive artwork Resurrecting the Sublime which was co-created with Christina Agapakis and Alexandra Daisy.

Using the projects supported by Therme Art at the 17th Exhibition as points of inspiration, a series of Wellbeing Culture Forum talks were held that explored themes of environmental and human wellbeing in greater detail, while also responding to the exhibition, How will we live together?, curated by the architect Hashim Sarkis.

Broomfield Forest Planting at COP26

During COP26, Therme Group announced its One Health initiative for human and environmental wellbeing, and established the One Health Research Centre (OHRC) together with founding partners IKEM and the University of Greifswald. On this occasion, the OHRC produced its first policy paper “From Building to Growing Cities,” which outlines how adaptations of the building code can transform urban development into a driving force for ecosystem restoration.

To accompany the publication of its policy paper, Therme One Health staged the Wellbeing Culture Forum panel discussion From Building to Growing Cities, with the participation of the paper’s co-editors Prof. Michael Mehling (MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research) and Simon Schäfer Stradosky (IKEM), alongside Patience Naamara (Fairventures Worldwide) as well as Therme One Health Head of Global Engagement Maria Rivera Espinosa.

In honor of COP26, Therme One Health planted a forest of 1400 trees native to Scotland in Glasgow’s Broomfield Park. The forest was planted in partnership with our global afforestation partner SUGi and with the participation of local schoolchildren, to grow in Glasgow as a living and breathing legacy of COP26. This marked the first of a series of afforestation projects to be developed together with SUGi and Elise van Middelem as part of Therme One Health’s global initiatives.

From left: Jeanne de Kroon, Nina Gualinga, Elise Van Middelem, Sumayya Vally

Last but not least, we are proud to have welcomed a new group of close collaborators as new esteemed members to our Art Advisory Board:

— Jeanne de Kroon, Social Entrepreneur

— Nina Gualinga, Environmental and Indigenous Rights Defender

— Elise Van Middelem, Founder SUGi

— Sumayya Vally, Founder & Principal Architect of Counterspace