Anne Diestelkamp
cultural programmer, artistic researcher/ editor and translator
Workshop
I Can Change the World With My Two Hands
2026
On January 25th, 2026 gathered at the garden of I Can Change the World With My Two Hands to delve into the depths of darkness together. In darkness, we lose sight—the sense we most rely on to feel oriented and safe. Darkness is often framed as something to fear, associated with uncertainty and suffering. And yet, it is in darkness that life begins and wisdom takes root: in the womb, in the soil, and in dreams.
In this workshop, Chen Zhou and I invited others to gather in darkness with us—to sense it, reflect on it, and stay with it. The afternoon began with researcher Chen Zhou, who shared ancient knowledge from Traditional Chinese Medicine on winter practices, including the nourishment of life through black foods and the conservation of yin energy. We read about darkness together and shared black and root foods as a sensory practice. In the second part of the workshop, I shared some of my early research into the nocturnal garden and invited participants on a tour of the garden in the dark. Together, we explored how perception shifts and how senses and worlds become reversed as the garden moves from day into night.