(In English below)

Det finns tider då livet känns utsträckt mellan det som varit och det som ännu håller på att bli. Stunder då det välbekanta förlorar sin form, då sammanhanget tunnas ut, då de platser vi en gång litade på för stabilitet börjar skifta under oss.

Och ändå, även i dessa mellanrum av ovisshet, uppstår ett stilla skimmer — en gnista vid medvetandets rand, en tyst ljusning i själva sprickan.

Det var detta skimmer som kallade mig att skapa Gnistor av Hopp — inte som en flykt från världens bristningar, utan som ett sätt att uppfatta ljuset som rör sig genom dem.

Tre sammanflätade inspirationer formade serien:
• Kintsugi, den japanska konsten att laga det som är trasigt med guld.
• Hopp, förstått inte som önsketänkande utan som en mänsklig förmåga som bär upp mening, uthållighet och framåtrörelse.
• Kreativ förstörelse, insikten att samhällen förnyar sig genom cykler av störning och återfödelse — en kraft som nu accelereras av artificiell intelligens.

Tillsammans formar dessa perspektiv en filosofi om tillblivelse — en förståelse som antyder att våra sprickor inte är slutpunkter, utan början.

1. Kintsugi — Där Ljuset Lär Sig Tränga In

I Kintsugi döljs inte en bruten skål, och den återskapas inte till det den en gång var; den blir något nytt. Det reparerade objektet bär sin fraktur öppet, förgyllt och värdigt — brottet omvandlat till en linje av ljus.

Studier vid Musubi Academy fördjupade denna insikt. Deras tillvägagångssätt värdesätter närvaro framför perfektion, autenticitet framför genvägar och förnyelse framför förtäckning.

Man lär sig att röra sig långsamt, att lita på naturliga processer, att låta materialet undervisa. Till slut blir något stilla och radikalt tydligt: Reparation är inte motsatsen till brustenhet. Reparation är dess fortsättning.

Det förändrar hur man ser själva sprickan — inte som sammanbrott, utan som en öppning.

2. Hopp — En Förmåga som Löper Genom Osäkerheten

Hopp förväxlas ofta med optimism, men forskning visar att det är något mycket rikare. Psykologer, filosofer och neurovetare beskriver hopp som en förmåga: en väv av handlingskraft, föreställningsförmåga, relationer och mening.

Hopp påverkar hur vi tolkar utmaningar — inte som fasta hinder utan som skiftande landskap. Det formar vår återhämtning genom att ge oss en inre elasticitet. Det öppnar vägar för lärande och nya perspektiv. Det gör det möjligt att föreställa sig framtider som ännu inte finns. Och det fördjupar våra relationer genom tillit och gemensam riktning.

TACK-perspektivet: En karta över hopp i samhällen

I Stockholm Wellbeing Index reflekteras hopp genom TACK-dimensionerna:

• Togetherness -Tillsammanskap— hopp växer i samband.
• Agency – Handlingskraft— hopp stärks när våra val spelar roll.
• Coherence – Sammanhang— hopp trivs när livet har en rytm och en inre mening.
• Kinetics – Rörelse— hopp rör sig med känslan av framåtdrift.

Detta samspel återspeglas även i den kreativa processen.
I Gnistor av Hopp söker färgerna kontakt, kompositionerna vandrar från stillhet till rörelse, och digitala lager antyder något ännu ofullständigt — en riktning, en begynnelse. Hopp är inte verklighetsflykt. Det är förutsättningen för förändring.

3. Kreativ Förstörelse — När Världen Själv Brister Öppen

För samhällen och organisationer är skiften inte metafor, utan levd verklighet.

INSEAD-professorn Philippe Aghions Nobelprisbelönade forskning visar att förnyelse kräver att det gamla ger vika så att det nya kan uppstå. Denna rörelse är sällan mjuk — den förändrar marknader, strukturer och identiteter.

AI: Vår tids katalysator

AI förstärker denna cykel dramatiskt. Förändring som tidigare tog decennier sker nu på några år. Gränser upplöses, roller omformas, och både ledarskap och samhällsstrukturer behöver förnyas. Vi lever mitt i en historisk spricka — samtidigt oroande och full av möjligheter.

Kreativ förstörelse förklarar de stora samhällsrörelserna. Kintsugi visar hur sprickan kan bli vacker. Hopp ger oss kraften att fortsätta genom den. Dessa tre perspektiv utgör den konceptuella jord där Gnistor av Hopp växte fram.

4. Gnistor av Hopp — Ett Nytt Sätt att Se Sprickorna

Verken i Gnistor av Hopp föddes ur mötet mellan dessa idéer — inte som illustrationer, utan som känslomässiga och filosofiska svar på en värld i förändring.

Från Kintsugi ärver verken en vördnad för bristningen: linjer av ljus följer tänkta sprickor, färger samlas kring osynliga sömmar. Fokus ligger inte på det som gått förlorat, utan på det som försöker lysa igenom. Från hoppet lånar verken en inre rörelse — en drift mot förnyelse och återfunnen agens. Digitala lager förstärker denna känsla: rörelse, fragment, skimrande framtidsaningar.

Från kreativ förstörelse speglas vår samtid: branschers, identiteters och berättelsers upplösning blir inte misslyckanden, utan inbjudningar till något nytt. Tillsammans bildar dessa trådar ett visuellt språk där: sprickan blir möjlighet, bristningen information, förnyelsen en akt av föreställningskraft.

Gnistor av Hopp handlar inte om att återvända till det som var, utan om att urskilja det som vill träda fram.

5. När Destino möter Gnistor av Hopp

Destino är ett av konsthistoriens mest oväntade och förtrollande möten — ett samarbete mellan Salvador Dalí och Walt Disney som påbörjades 1945, när två helt olika världar korsades: surrealismens drömlandskap och animationens lekfulla precision. Projektet bröts abrupt, och Dalís skisser, målningar och visionära bildmanus föll i glömska, gömda djupt inne i Disneys arkiv som om de låg i vila i ett eget tidsrum.

När filmen till slut färdigställdes 2003, av ett litet hängivet team som vågade återuppväcka Dalís ursprungliga vision, uppstod något nästan alkemiskt. Fragmenten började röra sig. Symbolerna fick andning. Den poetiska logik som levt stilla i målningarna gled över i filmens språk, och resultatet blev en kort, drömlik film där tiden löses upp och längtan får form.

Och ändå — trots sitt mirakulösa ursprung och sin sällsynta skönhet — är Destino fortfarande förvånansvärt okänd. Ett gömt smycke i både konst- och filmhistorien, en visuell dikt som få människor har sett men som för den som upptäcker den öppnar en hel värld av rörelse, symbolik och magisk stillhet.

Den sex minuter långa kortfilmen låter Dalís symbolvärld röra sig genom animationens flöde.
Tiden mjuknar. Skuggor sträcks ut. Statyer spricker upp.
Och genom detta föränderliga landskap vandrar en kvinna — som om hon färdas genom sina egna drömmar, minnen och möjliga framtider.

Filmen är inte skapad för att förstås logiskt — utan för att kännas.
Den är en meditation över öde och längtan, och över hur transformation sker genom rörelse, inte genom förklaring.

När jag formade Gnistor av Hopp bar jag med mig just detta: tron att även i sprickorna — i det som håller på att upplösas — finns ett ljus som vill bryta fram. I Destino finns en rörelse mot något större, bortom tid och form; i Gnistor av Hopp är sprickorna själva vägarna där ljuset söker sig fram.

Här möts drömmens föränderlighet och hoppets envisa gnista.
Det brutna är inte slutet. Det är platsen där något nytt kan börja.
Likt i Destino kan en förändring, en skapelse, resa sig ur fragmenten — mjukt, oväntat och fyllt av möjlig mening.

När du betraktar verken i Gnistor av Hopp, låt dig minnas att det alltid finns rum för förnyelse, även i det osäkra.
Som i Destino: tiden stannar ibland —
men ljuset fortsätter att röra sig.

6. En Avslutande Inbjudan — Att Bli Genom Ljuset

En sanning vävs genom allt detta: Vi är alltid i tillblivelse. Kintsugi lär oss att hedra bristningen. Hopp lär oss att föreställa oss det som kommer. Kreativ förstörelse lär oss att förnyelsen är historiens rytm.

Sprickorna i vår värld är verkliga. Men det är också ljuset som samlas i dem. Min förhoppning är att Gnistor av Hopp erbjuder ett ögonblick av igenkänning — att du i dina egna sprickor, övergångar eller skiften ska kunna ana ett skimmer som bjuder dig vidare.

En gnista. En riktning. En början.

Du Är Varmt Välkommen

Konstutställning & Vernissage

Gnistor av Hopp — Nya verk av Novisali
Mörby Centrum, Entretorget (i samarbete med Danderyds Konstrum)
Öppet till 30 december
Vernissage: Lördag 6 december, 12:30–14:30

Möt konstnärerna, upplev verken på nära håll och utforska de digitala förlängningar
som ger varje verk nya dimensioner.

Lunchkonsert & Konstupplevelse

18 december
Ett ögonblick där konst, musik och ljus möts.

December Whisper — Adventskalender

Under december delar jag en daglig ritual — en dörr in till stillhet, mening och hopp.

Varje morgon bjuder på:
• en kort dikt
• ett konstverk
• fem vägledande ord
• tre reflektionsfrågor

Du är varmt välkommen att följa med:

Referenser och Mer Läsning

Se nedan.

Om Novisali 

Novisali (alias Liselotte Engstam) är, vid sidan av sina roller som professionell styrelseledamot och rådgivare, en multimediakonstnär med ett nyfiket och utforskande sinne.
Hon strävar efter att lära och utvidga konstupplevelser för både nuvarande och nya publikgrupper, genom att använda både traditionella och nya digitala medier.

Mer information och utställningar finns på Novisali.com.
Detta blogginlägg delas också på www.liselotteengstam.com, under konstnärsnamnet Novisali.

Luminous Fractures in a Changing – World Sparks of Hope

There are times when life feels stretched between what has been and what is still becoming. Moments when the familiar loosens its shape, when coherence thins,
when the places we once trusted for stability begin to shift beneath us.

And yet, even in those unsettled spaces, a subtle brightness emerges —
a spark at the edge of perception, a quiet shimmer inside the fracture.

That shimmer is what called me to create Sparks of Hope — not as an escape from the world’s ruptures, but as a way to notice the light that moves within them.

Three intertwined inspirations shaped the series:

• Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing the broken with gold.
• Hope, understood not as wishful thinking but as a human capability that sustains resilience, meaning, and forward motion.
• Creative Destruction, the insight that societies renew themselves through cycles of disruption and rebirth — a force now accelerated by artificial intelligence.

Together, they form a philosophy of becoming — one that suggests our cracks are not endings, but beginnings.

1. Kintsugi — Where Light Learns to Enter

In Kintsugi, a broken vessel is not hidden or restored to what it once was; it becomes something new.
The repaired object carries its fracture openly, gilded and dignified — the break transformed into a line of light.

Studying Kintsugi at Musubi Academy deepened this understanding for me. Their approach values presence over perfection, authenticity over shortcuts, and renewal over concealment.
You learn to move slowly,
to trust natural processes,
to let the material teach you.

Eventually you realise something quietly radical:

Repair is not the opposite of brokenness.
Repair is its continuation.

This shifted how I see breakage itself — not as collapse, but as an opening.

2. Hope — A Capability That Threads Through Uncertainty

Hope is often mistaken for optimism, yet research paints a richer picture.

Psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists describe hope as a capability, woven from agency, imagination, relationships, and meaning. It shapes the texture of our lives: influencing how we interpret challenges — not as fixed obstacles but as shifting landscapes; guiding how we recover by giving us the inner elasticity to rise again; informing how we learn by opening pathways for new insight; colouring how we imagine futures that do not yet exist; and transforming how we connect with others through deeper trust, compassion, and shared meaning.

Hope becomes not a fragile emotion, but a quiet architecture beneath everything we do — a foundation for resilience, creativity, and human connection.

The TACK Perspective: A Map of Hope in Societies

In the Stockholm Wellbeing Index, hope aligns closely with the TACK dimensions:

• Togetherness — hope grows in connection.
• Agency — hope strengthens when we feel our choices matter.
• Coherence — hope thrives when life has an inner rhythm.
• Kinetics — hope moves with the sense of forward progress.

These dynamics echo in the creative process.
In Sparks of Hope, colours reach toward one another, compositions shift from quietness into motion, and digital extensions reveal layers just beyond the visible — each a visual metaphor for hope’s momentum.

Hope is not escapism.
It is what makes transformation possible.

3. Creative Destruction — When the World Itself Breaks Open

For societies and organisations, breakage is not metaphor but lived reality.
INSEAD Professor Philippe Aghion’s Nobel-winning research on Creative Destruction shows that progress requires old structures to dissolve so new ones can emerge.
Innovation is rarely gentle; it reshapes markets, workplaces, and identities.

AI: The Catalyst of Our Time

AI intensifies this cycle dramatically.
It compresses decades of change into mere years, dissolving boundaries and demanding renewal in leadership, governance, and society.

We are living inside a historical fracture — both unsettling and full of potential.

Creative destruction explains the macro-cracks.
Kintsugi reveals how cracks can become beautiful.
Hope gives us the inner capacity to step forward through them.

These three forces form the conceptual ground from which the artworks arose.

4. Sparks of Hope — A New Way of Seeing the Cracks

The artworks in Sparks of Hope were inspired by this meeting point — not as illustrations of ideas, but as emotional and philosophical responses to a world in transition.

From Kintsugi, the pieces inherit a reverence for rupture.
Lines of light trace imagined fractures; colours gather around invisible seams.
The paintings are less concerned with what was lost, and more with what is trying to shine through.

From hope, they borrow a sense of inner movement — a drift toward renewal, the reassembly of coherence, the return of agency. Each piece holds a tension between what is visible now and what is just beginning to form. Digital layers extend this even further: motion, sound, or shimmering fragments revealing a quieter, unfolding future.

From creative destruction, the series reflects an awareness of our moment — a world where industries, identities, and narratives are breaking open not as failures, but as invitations. The artworks mirror this rhythm: dissolving edges, expanding centres, structures that seem to rebuild themselves as you look.

Together, these threads create a new visual language:
fracture as possibility,
brokenness as information,
renewal as an act of imagination.

Sparks of Hope is not about returning to what was,
but about recognising what wants to emerge.

5. When Destino Meets Sparks of Hope

Destino is one of art history’s most unexpected and enchanting encounters — a collaboration between Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney begun in 1945, when two entirely different worlds crossed paths: the dreamscapes of surrealism and the playful precision of animation.
The project was abruptly halted, and Dalí’s sketches, paintings, and visionary storyboards slipped into obscurity, hidden deep inside the Disney archives as if resting in their own pocket of time.

When the film was finally completed in 2003 by a small, dedicated team who dared to resurrect Dalí’s original vision, something almost alchemical occurred.
The fragments began to move.
The symbols drew breath.
The poetic logic that had lived quietly inside the paintings shifted into the language of film, resulting in a short, dreamlike work where time dissolves and longing takes shape.

And yet — despite its miraculous origin and rare beauty — Destino remains surprisingly unknown.
A hidden jewel in both art and film history, a visual poem that few have seen, but for those who discover it, it opens an entire world of motion, symbolism, and magical stillness.

The six-minute short allows Dalí’s symbolic universe to move through the flow of animation.
Time softens.
Shadows stretch.
Statues crack open.
And through this shifting landscape walks a woman — as if travelling through her own dreams, memories, and possible futures.

The film is not made to be understood logically — but to be felt.
It is a meditation on destiny and longing, and on how transformation happens through movement, not explanation.

When I shaped Sparks of Hope, I carried exactly this with me: the belief that even within the fractures — in what is coming apart — there is a light trying to break through.
In Destino, there is a movement toward something greater, beyond time and form; in Sparks of Hope, the fractures themselves become pathways through which the light finds its way.

Here, the fluidity of dreams meets the persistent spark of hope.
The broken is not the end.
It is the place where something new can begin.
As in Destino, a shift — a creation — can rise from fragments: gently, unexpectedly, and filled with possible meaning.

When you encounter the works in Sparks of Hope, let yourself remember that there is always room for renewal, even within uncertainty.

6. A Closing Invitation — Becoming Through the Light

If there is a single truth woven through these ideas, it is this:

We are always in the process of becoming.

Kintsugi teaches us to honour the break.
Hope teaches us to imagine what comes next.
Creative destruction teaches us that renewal is not optional — it is the rhythm of history.

The cracks in our world are real.
But so is the light that gathers within them.

My wish is that Sparks of Hope offers a moment of recognition —
that within your own fractures, disruptions, or transitions,
you may glimpse a shimmer that invites you forward.

A spark.
A direction.
A beginning.

You Are Warmly Invited

If these reflections speak to you, I would love to welcome you into the physical space where Sparks of Hope lives and breathes.

Art Exhibition & Vernissage

Sparks of Hope — New Works by Novisali
Mörby Centrum, Entretorget (with Danderyds Konstrum)
Exhibition open now until 30 December
Vernissage: Saturday 6 December, 12:30–14:30
Come meet the artists, experience the works up close, and explore the digital extensions that bring each piece to life.

Lunch Concert & Art Experience

18 December
A moment where art, music, and light meet.

December Whisper — Advent Calendar

Alongside the exhibition, I am sharing a gentle daily ritual throughout December —
a doorway into stillness, meaning, and hope.

Each morning brings:
• a short poem
• an artwork
• five guiding words
• three reflection questions

All created to offer a quiet pause in a season often filled with urgency.
You are warmly invited to follow along:
https://novisali.com/advent-calendar/

References & Further Reading

Kintsugi

• Musubi Academy — Kintsugi
• “Kintsugi: The Art of Broken Pieces” — Smithsonian Magazine

Hope Research

• C. R. Snyder — Hope Theory Overview (Positive Psychology)
• Harvard Medical School — “Why Hope Matters”
• University of Missouri (2025) — Hope & Meaning Research Summary

TACK & Wellbeing

• Stockholm center for Wellbeing, Welfare, Happiness (Stockholm School of Economics)
• Stockholm Wellbeing Index (Stockholm School of Economics)

Creative Destruction & Aghion’s Nobel Prize

• Nobel Prize in Economics 2025 — Philippe Aghion (Press Release)
• Aghion, “Creative Destruction”

AI, Transformation & Acceleration

• OECD — AI in Strategic Foresight
• McKinsey — Generative AI and Industry Acceleration

About Destino

About Destino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destino

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Sprickornas Ljus — Luminous Fractures first appeared on Novisali.

(The Story in English below) 

Det börjar ofta med något nästan osynligt.
En rörelse i utkanten av blicken.
En värme som dröjer kvar fast vintern andas kyla.
En gnista.

Den här reflektionen växer fram i en säsong fylld av både mörker och ljus — Nobelveckan i Stockholm, min egen utställning Gnistor av Hopp, och en djupare utforskning av hur hopp rör sig genom oss som människor, ledare och skapare.

Hoppets filosofiska rötter — en kraft som vägrar försvinna

I tider när mörkret fördjupas växer också människans längtan efter ljus. Det är en uråldrig rörelse inom oss — lika biologisk som existentiell — denna impuls att söka riktning när världen känns tung.

Filosofen Gabriel Marcel kallade hoppet en trohet till livet, en form av närvaro som vägrar ge efter för förtvivlan. För honom var hoppet inte en flyktig önskan, utan en stillsam och orubblig kraft som binder oss till världen, till varandra och till våra framtida jag. Att hoppas, i Marcels mening, är inte att blunda för mörkret, utan att se det — och ändå välja att tro att något mer är möjligt.

Daniel Dennett och andra evolutionsfilosofer beskriver hopp på ett annat sätt: som en biologisk strategi, formad genom årtusenden. Utan förmågan att föreställa oss en framtid annorlunda än vår nutid hade vi förlorat viljan att agera. Hoppet har drivit oss att anpassa oss, resa oss, skapa, samarbeta och blicka framåt.

Och långt före dem beskrev Aristoteles hoppet som en vaken dröm — en aktiv riktning mot det som kan bli, grundad i erfarenhet, omdöme och mänsklig strävan efter att förverkliga sin potential.

Hopp är drömmen som håller ögonen öppna — inte flyr verkligheten, utan formar den.

Hopp levt i världen — Nobelpristagare som tänder ljus i mörkret

Om filosoferna visar hoppets inre rörelse, visar Nobelpristagare hur hoppet ser ut när det levs offentligt. Deras handlingar gör hoppet synligt — som mod, riktning och integritet.

År 2025 fick María Corina Machado Nobels fredspris för sin kamp för demokrati i Venezuela — ”en demokratis ljuslåga i ett tilltagande mörker”. Hon visar hur hopp ibland kräver motstånd och moraliskt mod.

År 2021 belönades Maria Ressa och Dmitrij Muratov för sitt försvar av pressfriheten i en tid präglad av desinformation och hot. Hoppet tar hos dem formen av sanning — en tro på att öppenhet fortfarande kan skydda det som är skört.

År 2018 mottog Olga Tokarczuk Nobelpriset i litteratur. Hennes sammanvävda berättelser bär ett hopp grundat i förundran — en förmåga att se mening där andra ser oreda.

År 2014 fick Malala Yousafzai fredspriset för sitt mod att stå upp för flickors rätt till utbildning. Hon visar att hopp ibland bärs av de yngsta — de som tror på framtider som ännu inte finns, men som förtjänar att försvaras.

Tillsammans bildar dessa röster en mosaik av hoppets uttryck:
hopp som mod,
hopp som sanning,
hopp som berättelse,
hopp som rättighet,
hopp som en låga som vägrar slockna.

De påminner oss om att hopp inte flyr verkligheten — det omformar den.

Hopp som mänsklig förmåga — hur sinnet hittar morgondagen

Hopp bärs inte bara av världens ledare. Det är en förmåga som lever tyst i oss alla.

Forskningen — från Emmy Werners studier på Kauai till modern neurovetenskap — visar att hopp inte bara är en känsla, utan en orientering mot möjlighet. Werner fann att de som klarar sig trots svårigheter inte gör det tack vare frånvaron av problem, utan tack vare närvaron av något litet men avgörande: en relation, en tro, en glimt av att livet kan öppnas igen.

Neurovetenskapen bekräftar detta. Hopp tänder nätverk i hjärnan som styr planering, kreativitet och motivation. Det är en biologisk och existentiell rörelse — förmågan att föreställa sig ett ”annorlunda sedan” och börja orientera sig mot det.

Som om hjärnan tände en lykta i mörkret och viskade:
Följ mig. Det finns en väg.

Ledarskapsforskningen pekar i samma riktning.
INSEAD visar att de mest framtidsredo ledarna:

• vilar i mening,
• praktiserar mental flexibilitet,
• omfamnar paradoxer (rädsla och hopp, förlust och möjlighet),
• bygger relationer som buffert mot osäkerhet,
• söker förnyelse snarare än ren uthållighet.

Och INSEADs Talent Competitiveness Report 2025 visar att resiliens idag kräver mer än anpassning — det kräver fantasi. De som lyckas investerar i nyfikenhet, kreativitet och mänsklig utveckling.

Här blir Joanna Macy central. Hon beskriver Active Hope som en praktik — inte något vi har, utan något vi gör.
En medveten handling: att förbereda marken för framtider som ännu inte finns, men som redan anas.

Hopp blir en hållning.
Ett val.
En riktning mot möjlighet.
Ibland så liten att den knappt syns — men stark nog att förändra vägen.

Gnistor av Hopp — konsten där det minsta ljuset räcker

Alla dessa trådar — filosofi, mod, motståndskraft, ledarskap — möts i mitt konstnärliga projekt Gnistor av Hopp.

I vintermörkrets stillhet kan den minsta gnista bära ett löfte.

Gnistor av Hopp vecklar ut sig som en stilla resa där akvarellens organiska ljus möter digitala lager och augmented reality — en sorts vaken dröm i Aristoteles mening, en bild av det som kan bli, inte bara det som är.

Här är hoppet nära:
i gester,
i möten,
i ljus som rör sig längre än man först tror.

Verken är tryckta på återvunnen aluminium — ett oväntat hållbart material som fångar ljuset på unika sätt. Några målningar bär AR-förlängningar — tysta portar som öppnar både inåt och utåt.

Konst som bjuder in snarare än imponerar.
Konst som frågar:
Vilken gnista av hopp bär du just nu?

En vinterutställning — en viloplats för ljuset

Jag ställer ut Gnistor av Hopp tillsammans med kollegor från Danderyds Konstcentrum:

Entrétorget, Mörby Centrum
2–30 december
Vernissage: 6 december kl. 12.30–14.30

Den 18 december kl. 12–13 hålls även en Lunchkonsert där saxofonglöd, vintermelodier och konst möts — med Johan Stengård, Patrik Lundström & Joakim Niehoff.
En stund där musiken får bära hoppet vidare.

Varmt välkommen.

December Whispers — när gnistan fortsätter att vandra

Vill du fortsätta gå tillsammans med ljuset genom december, finns December Whispers, min digitala adventskalender.

En varsam daglig rytm av:
en dikt,
ett konstverk,
fem essensord,
tre mjuka reflektionsfrågor.

December Whispers växte ur samma impuls som Gnistor av Hopp — viljan att erbjuda små, stilla stunder av ljus i en månad som kan kännas både magisk och tung.

Fritt tillgänglig, var du än är https://bit.ly/AdventNovisali

Inte något att hinna med — utan något att ta emot.

När staden tänds — Nobel Week Lights

Samtidigt som Gnistor av Hopp lyser i Mörby, tänds andra ljus över Stockholm.

Under Nobel Week Lights förvandlas staden till ett levande galleri. Installationer inspirerade av Nobelprisbelönade idéer lyser upp december och påminner oss om:

Varje stor idé började som en gnista.
Varje genombrott, dikt, upptäckt och fredsarbete började med en människa som trodde att mer var möjligt.

Ljuset rör sig.
Det sprider sig.
Det bärs.
Det är aldrig ensamt.

Avslutning — när ljuset väljer att stanna

Hopp rör sig genom filosofin, genom konsten, genom ledarskapet, genom städer upplysta av Nobelvisioner.
Men mest av allt rör det sig genom oss —
i gesterna vi ger,
i tankarna vi när,
i möjligheterna vi vågar föreställa oss.

Var du än befinner dig denna december,
må en liten gnista välja att stanna hos dig.

Ett relaterat Poem om Gnistor av Hopp

 1. I vinterns stillhet vilar land, när mörkret breder ut sin rand,
men plötsligt tänds en gnista hand i hand — ett ljus som leder varsamt över land.

2. När hjärtat söker vila kvar, när skymning faller mjukt och rar,
då väcks en glöd som stilla öppnar svar — och gör den längsta natten ren och klar.

3. Hopp rör sig stilla, från hus till hus, och fyller nattens tankar varma med ljus,
det väcker värme genom dagens brus, och låter sorgen mjukna med ljus i hus

4. Det rör sig mjukt från själ till själ, i stilla rum där hopp mår väl,
en värme väcks när vi får tid och skäl — att dela ljuset från själ till själ.

5. Det hörs i röster år från år, i ord som stannar, ord som når,
ett ljus står kvar när mycket annat går,  och öppnar vägar vi ksnke ej sett igår.

6. Från Nobels ljus i stadens frid, till tankar burna genom natten blid,
ett skimmer följer varje tid — och visar vägen till vår inre frid.

7. I varje barn som vågar se en värld som ännu kan få le,
finns drömmar födda av att stilla be — som öppnar dörrar dit vi själva får se.

8. När ledarskap i stormar står och mycket prövas år för år,
så växer mod som visar vart vi går — en kraft som öppnar väg där hoppet står.

9. Det syns i färger, ton och sken, i konst som gör vårt inre ren,
ett ljus som öppnar vägar om igen — och låter hjärtat vila stilla, len.

10. När världen mörknar, blir så grå, när varje steg känns tungt att gå,
så står ett hopp vid dig och säger: “stå” — och lyfter hjärtat tills du själv kan gå.

Referenser & Länkar 

Filosofi & psykologi om hopp

• Gabriel Marcel – https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marcel/
• Daniel Dennett – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett
• Aristoteles – https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/
• Joanna Macy – https://www.activehope.info
• Active Hope (bok) – https://www.amazon.com/Active-Hope-revised-Unexpected-Resilience-ebook/dp/B09Z36WTNP
• Viktor Frankl – https://www.viktorfrankl.org/

Resiliensforskning

• Emmy Werner – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Werner
• Neuroscience of Hope – https://thrivecentre.in/the-neuroscience-of-hope-how-our-brain-learns-to-heal/
• How Resilient Leaders Think – INSEAD – https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/how-resilient-leaders-think
• Talent Competitiveness 2025 – INSEAD – https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/worlds-most-talent-competitive-countries-2025

Nobelpristagare

• María Corina Machado (fredspris 2025) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2025
• Maria Ressa & Dmitrij Muratov (2021) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2021
• Olga Tokarczuk (litteraturpris 2018) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2018
• Malala Yousafzai (fredspris 2014) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014

Nobel Week Lights

• https://www.nobelprizemuseum.se/nobel-week-lights/

Novisali Adventskalender

• December Whispers – https://novisali.com/advent-calendar/

Sparks of Hope – When the Light Chooses to Stay

It often begins with something almost invisible.
A movement at the edge of your vision.
A warmth that lingers even as winter breathes cold.
A spark.

This reflection emerges during a season filled with both darkness and illumination — Nobel Week in Stockholm, my exhibition Sparks of Hope, and a deeper inquiry into how hope moves through us as humans, leaders, and creators.

Philosophical Roots of Hope — A Force That Refuses to Disappear

In every age where darkness deepens, humanity’s longing for light grows with it. It is an ancient motion within us — as biological as it is existential — this impulse to seek direction when the world feels heavy.

The philosopher Gabriel Marcel called hope a fidelity to life, a deep form of presence that refuses to surrender to despair. For him, hope was not a fleeting wish but a quiet and steadfast force binding us to the world, to one another, and to our future selves. To hope, in Marcel’s sense, is not to turn away from the dark, but to look at it fully and still believe something more is possible.

Daniel Dennett and other evolutionary thinkers offer another view: hope as a biological strategy shaped over millennia. Without the ability to imagine a future different from the present, humans would have lost the will to act. Hope has helped us adapt, rebuild, innovate, collaborate, and rise again. It is an inner mechanism that urges us to build shelter, seek connection, and lift our eyes beyond the horizon.

Long before Marcel or Dennett, Aristotle described hope as a waking dream — an active orientation toward what could be, grounded in experience, judgment, and humanity’s striving toward fulfilment.

Hope, then, is the dream that keeps its eyes open — not fleeing reality, but shaping it.

Living Hope — Nobel Laureates Who Illuminate the Darkness

If philosophers illuminate the inner motion of hope, Nobel laureates show us what hope looks like when lived in public life. Their actions reveal hope not as sentiment, but as courage in motion.

In 2025, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado for her struggle for democracy in Venezuela — “a flame of democracy in a deepening darkness.” Her life shows how hope sometimes requires resistance and ethical courage.

In 2021, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov were honoured for defending press freedom against disinformation and authoritarian pressure. They remind us that hope can take the form of truth — the conviction that transparency still protects what is fragile.

In 2018, Olga Tokarczuk received the Literature Prize. Through her interconnected narratives, she shows hope rooted in wonder — the ability to see meaning and relation where others see chaos.

In 2014, Malala Yousafzai transformed personal vulnerability into global advocacy for girls’ education. She shows that hope is sometimes carried by the youngest among us, who believe in futures not yet born but worth fighting for.

Together, these laureates form a mosaic of hope’s expressions:
hope as courage,
hope as truth,
hope as story,
hope as right,
hope as a flame that refuses to go out.

They show that hope does not escape reality — it reshapes it.

Hope as a Human Capacity — How the Mind Finds Tomorrow

And yet hope is not only carried by global leaders. It is a capacity that lives quietly in all of us.

Decades of resilience research — from Emmy Werner’s landmark Kauai study to contemporary neuroscience — show that hope is not merely an emotion but an orientation toward possibility. Werner found that those who thrive despite adversity do so because something small but crucial is present: one caring relationship, one belief, one sense that life could open again.

Neuroscience confirms this. Hope lights up regions of the brain linked to planning, creativity, and motivation. It is a biological and existential movement — the capacity to envision an “alternative later” and begin organizing ourselves toward it.

As if the brain lights a lantern in the dark and whispers:
Follow me. There is a way.

Leadership research echoes this.
INSEAD finds that the most future-fit leaders:

• stay anchored in meaning,
• practice cognitive flexibility,
• embrace paradox (fear and hope, loss and possibility),
• invest in trusted relationships,
• prioritize renewal over pure endurance.

And the INSEAD 2025 Talent Competitiveness Report shows that resilience today demands more than adaptation — it requires imagination. The individuals, companies, and nations that thrive invest in curiosity, creativity, and human development.

Here, Joanna Macy offers a final insight: Active Hope is not something we have — it is something we practice.
A conscious preparation for futures that are not yet here, but whose outlines we can already sense.

Hope becomes a stance.
A choice.
A quiet orientation toward possibility.
Sometimes so small it is almost invisible — yet powerful enough to change direction.

Sparks of Hope — Art Where the Smallest Light Is Enough

These threads — philosophy, resilience, leadership, courage — come together in my artistic exploration Sparks of Hope.

In the stillness of winter darkness, even the smallest spark can carry a promise.

Sparks of Hope unfolds as a quiet journey where the organic luminosity of watercolor meets digital layers and augmented reality — a form of waking dream in Aristotle’s sense, an image of what might be, not only what is.

Here, hope is intimate:
in gestures,
in encounters,
in subtle rays that travel farther than expected.

The works are printed on recycled aluminum, a sustainable material that holds and bends light in its own unexpected way. Some pieces carry AR extensions — quiet portals that open both inward and outward.

Art that invites rather than impresses.
Art that asks:
What spark of hope is alive in you right now?

A Winter Exhibition — A Place for Light to Rest

I will exhibit Sparks of Hope with fellow artists from Danderyds Konstcentrum:

Entrétorget, Mörby Centrum
December 2–30
Vernissage: December 6, 12.30–14.30

On December 18, 12:00–13:00, a Lunch Concert will bring saxophone glow, winter melodies, and art together — with performers Johan Stengård, Patrik Lundström & Joakim Niehoff.
A moment where music carries hope a little further.

You are warmly welcome.

December Whispers — When the Spark Continues to Wander

If you wish to continue walking with the light through the month, I invite you to explore December Whispers, my digital advent calendar.

A gentle rhythm of:
a poem,
an artwork,
five essence words,
three soft reflection questions.

December Whispers grew from the same impulse as Sparks of Hope — the desire to offer small, steady moments of light in a month that can feel both magical and heavy.

It is freely accessible, wherever you are: https://bit.ly/AdventNovisali

Not something to keep up with — but something to receive.

The City’s Lights — Nobel Week Lights in Stockholm

While Sparks of Hope glows in Mörby, other lights rise across Stockholm.

During Nobel Week Lights, the city becomes a living gallery. Installations inspired by Nobel Prize-winning breakthroughs illuminate December, reminding us:

Every transformative idea began as a spark.
Every breakthrough, poem, discovery, and peace effort began with someone who believed more was possible.

Light travels.
It spreads.
It is carried.
It is never alone.

Closing — When the Light Chooses to Stay

Hope moves through philosophy, through art, through leadership, through cities illuminated by Nobel visions.
But most of all, it moves through us —
in the gestures we offer,
the thoughts we nurture,
the possibilities we dare to imagine.

Wherever you are this December,
may one small spark choose to stay with you.

A related Poem on Sparks of Hope

1. In winter’s hush when shadows grow, a single spark begins to glow,
a whispered light the dark holds for you, yet cannot dim, nor ever overthrow.

2. It lives where quiet hearts remain, in fragile moments born of pain,
a rising flame that finds its way again, through silent nights that would constrain.

3. Hope rises softly, brave yet small, a steady breath against the fall,
a waking dream that stands through every squall, refusing fear’s relentless call.

4. It moves between us, soul to soul, restoring fragments into whole,
a gentle fire stitching heart to goal, rekindling courage’s hidden role.

5. It’s carried by the stories told, by minds that refuse to turn cold,
a lantern’s truth that even storms enfold, still shining bright, unbroken, bold.

6. From Nobel lights across the night to whispered truths that spark insight,
a trailing glow that paints the darkness white, and guides the weary toward what’s right.

7. In every child who dares to see a future shaped by what could be,
a humming spark that sets the spirit free, and calls forth worlds we’ve yet to see.

8. In leaders who, though storms ensue, choose meaning over what they knew,
a steady light that breaks discipleship to rue, and shapes a path toward something new.

9. It shines in art where colors rise, in lines that echo open skies,
a gleam that shimmers where the quiet lies, unveiling truths the heart supplies.

10. And when the world feels still and bare, hope walks beside us unaware,
a spark that waits within the evening air, inviting us to breathe—and share.

References & Links 

Philosophy & Psychology of Hope

• Gabriel Marcel – https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marcel/
• Daniel Dennett – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett
• Aristotle – https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/
• Joanna Macy – https://www.activehope.info
• Active Hope (book) – https://www.amazon.com/Active-Hope-revised-Unexpected-Resilience-ebook/dp/B09Z36WTNP/
• Viktor Frankl – https://www.viktorfrankl.org/

Resilience Research

• Emmy Werner – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Werner
• Neuroscience of Hope – https://thrivecentre.in/the-neuroscience-of-hope-how-our-brain-learns-to-heal/
• How Resilient Leaders Think – INSEAD – https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/how-resilient-leaders-think
• Talent Competitiveness 2025 – INSEAD – https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/worlds-most-talent-competitive-countries-2025

Nobel Laureates

• María Corina Machado (2025 Peace Prize) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2025
• Maria Ressa & Dmitry Muratov (2021) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2021
• Olga Tokarczuk (2018 Literature) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2018
• Malala Yousafzai (2014 Peace Prize) – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014

Nobel Week Lights

• https://www.nobelprizemuseum.se/nobel-week-lights/

Novisali Advent Calendar

• December Whispers – https://novisali.com/advent-calendar/

The post Gnistor av Hopp / Sparks of Hope first appeared on Novisali.

(Läs denna historia på svenska HÄR)

The Threads That Continue

A heartfelt thank you to all who visited Novisali’s exhibition Eyes Woven in Time in Stocksund, Sweden (Sept 6–7, 2025), you can see a video from the exhibition below.

And extra warm thank you to those who welcomed the artworks into your homes, allowing the guardians to continue their journeys alongside you.

The exhibition unfolded as a meeting place between art and presence, where nature’s guardians lifted their gaze to meet yours — silent companions offering courage, resilience, and wisdom as we move through the shifting landscapes of time.

Though the doors in Stocksund have closed, the threads of Eyes Woven in Time ripple outward. Like a fabric woven of myth, memory, and art, the exhibition now stretches into new forms and places.

Earlier reflections on these guardians have taken shape across three blogposts: Guardians of the Invisible Thread, Finding Our Place in the Wild, and Human Renaissance: When Guardians guide Innovation. Together, they asked what it means to be seen by nature, to rediscover our kinship with the wild, and to carry guardianship into digital space. (these blogposts can be found below)

Today, those threads take on three new continuations:

1. One artwork remains present, quietly watching over visitors at Danderyds Konsthall.
2. Two works will soon travel across borders, finding new resonance at Art MUC in Munich.
3. A digital room opens, gathering the parts of the exhibition not bound to traditional walls, extending the guardians into new, intangible landscapes.

Still on Display at Danderyds Konsthall

In the gallery space of Danderyds Konsthall, a single guardian still stands. Rooted in physical presence, it reminds us that some encounters are only possible when we share the same air, light, and silence.

Here, guardianship becomes grounding. The artwork rests against the Konsthall’s walls like a stone in the riverbed of time. Visitors enter not only to see it, but to feel themselves woven into its rhythm — present, embodied, and part of the continuum of gaze.

This is an unrepeatable meeting. The eyes of the guardian do not travel through pixels; they hold you in the room itself, asking for stillness, attention, and the willingness to stand in time. In that moment, both artwork and viewer become part of the same woven fabric.

More about Danderyds Konsthall

Reaching Across Borders to ART MUC

From Sweden, two guardians now prepare to journey to Munich. Their crossing is more than geographical — it is symbolic. They carry the wild whispers of the North — fox and bear — into a new cultural landscape, where their gaze will be met by unfamiliar eyes.

To send guardians abroad is to release them into dialogue. They become emissaries of both art and spirit, bridging geographies and sensibilities. Their presence in Munich speaks to the universal language of guardianship: no matter the culture, the tradition, or the myth, we recognize the silent power of an animal gaze.

This journey reminds us that guardianship is never solitary. It is carried across borders, translated into new conversations, and rooted into new communities. Thus, the threads of Eyes Woven in Time stretch beyond Sweden’s forests into Europe’s wider fabric of art and imagination.

More about Art Muc

Entering the Digital Room

A third path opens not in a gallery or fair, but in the digital realm. Here, the guardians take forms that could not be confined to walls: moving poems, augmented realities, and layered reflections

The digital room is more than a continuation — it is an expansion. It reframes guardianship for our age, where encounters are no longer bound by geography. Here, artworks breathe differently:

• Silk-prints — Flowing works on silk, alive both as scarves to wear and as protective pieces to hang on your wall. Some gather animals in vivid harmony; others conceal Pixel Guardians, revealed only to those who know how to see.
• Glass-prints — Frosted glass lanterns holding foxes, bears, lynxes, and other companions, their watchful gazes glowing from within light and shadow.
• The Book (in Swedish) — Guardians of the Invisible Thread — a journey into the forest’s depth, where encounters with animals mirror courage, presence, and harmony. A treasure for both children and adults, to be read alone or shared together.
• Faux Teddy Prints — Playful yet meaningful, these soft sculptures bring guardianship into everyday life — to hold close as symbols of warmth and companionship.

To enter the digital room is to step into another kind of guardianship. Here, we are asked not only to look, but to choose: where will we place our attention, how will we carry what we encounter, what threads will we weave into our own stories?

The guardians remind us: even across pixels, presence is possible. Meaning is not diminished in digital form — it is transformed, stretched, and carried into new kinds of continuity.

Becoming Active Seers and Guardians Across Realms

In Eyes Woven in Time, the first invitation was simple: to be seen by the guardians. Standing in front of a lynx, wolf, or owl, one could feel the silent exchange — the gaze that carried memory, presence, and resilience. In the exhibition hall, this encounter was embodied and immediate.

But as the works now travel, the gaze transforms. The viewer is no longer only the one who looks, but the one who carries the gaze forward. We shift from passive spectators to becoming active seers.

In the physical world, guardianship is an ancient calling. It begins with presence — the courage to open our eyes to what is fragile and fleeting, to see the shimmer of life in a wingbeat, a pawprint, a whispering tree. To be a guardian here is to stand in defense of balance: the balance of ecosystems, of memory, of human responsibility within the great web of being. It reminds us that we are not separate from nature’s story, but characters within it — carriers of tales that must not be forgotten.

In the digital world, guardianship becomes something new, something visionary. It is no longer only about protecting what we can touch. It is about shaping the invisible architectures of attention and meaning. Every act of noticing online is a choice of stewardship. Every amplification of beauty or wisdom is an act of resistance against the flood of noise. Every story preserved and shared is a seed planted in the soil of tomorrow.

In this realm, guardianship is not passive — it is active weaving. We are no longer merely consumers of images; we are weavers of significance. Each of us holds a thread in the vast tapestry of the digital cosmos, and the patterns we create matter. When we choose to honor art, story, or truth, we become guardians not of a single place or time, but of an interconnected reality that transcends borders.

Invitation to Reflect

To be a guardian now is to understand that pixels can carry presence, that silence can travel across screens, that even in the immaterial spaces of the digital, the gaze of an animal — or the gaze of our own deeper selves — can awaken us. It is to claim our role not only as witnesses of time, but as shapers of how time is remembered.

And so the invitation extends to you:
* When you pause to truly see, you are a guardian.
* When you carry forward a story that nourishes, you are a guardian.
* When you choose to weave meaning rather than noise, you are a guardian — across realms both tangible and unseen.

This is the evolution Eyes Woven in Time points toward: a guardianship that unites earth and ether, myth and technology, presence and transmission. A guardianship that insists we are capable of more than observation — we are capable of becoming the seers who guard the future, together.

 Reflection for You

•  If guardianship means weaving meaning into the fabric of our time, what is the one thread you wish to carry and protect?
•  How might you practice being a guardian not only of nature, but of attention, memory, and beauty in the digital world you move through each day?
•  When you look back years from now, what do you hope your gaze — as seer and guardian — will have preserved for others?

Conclusion

Conclusion: Threads for the Future

Eyes Woven in Time has never been just an exhibition — it has been a practice of presence, a conversation between art, myth, and the gaze of the wild. Though its first chapter in Stocksund is complete, its life continues in many forms: grounding us in Danderyd, crossing borders to Munich, and opening into a digital realm where guardianship is reimagined for our age.

What unites these paths is the reminder that guardianship is not bound by walls or mediums. It is a way of being. In every gaze we meet, whether in a gallery, across cultures, or through a glowing screen, lies an invitation to pause, to carry, to protect.

The guardians do not ask for perfection; they ask for presence. They call us to weave meaning where there is noise, to nurture what is fragile, to remember that we are not only witnesses of time but participants in its weaving.

May the threads of this exhibition inspire you to carry your own strand of guardianship — in the choices you make, in the stories you share, in the ways you choose to see and be seen. For when we live as guardians, the fabric of our shared future becomes stronger, more luminous, and more alive.

“Through their silent eyes, we learn to see with courage, to protect with care, and to weave with hope.” – Novisali

Video from the Eyes woven in time art exhibition

Earlier Blogposts

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Beyond the Gaze: Becoming the Guardian first appeared on Novisali.

There is a kind of hope that refuses to be ornamental. It is not soft or idle. It dares. It builds. It pulses in the cracks of stone, in the spirals of a snail shell, in the branches of a tree turned into stone.

This is the spirit of Hopepunk—a courage that grows where we least expect it, a gentleness that resists despair. It is not escapism but engagement. Not fantasy, but fierce imagination. And where better to let this spirit emerge than in Barcelona, a city where stone itself seems to dream, thanks to its artistic father Antoni Gaudi?

This is a city that teaches us how nature becomes form, and form becomes meaning. Here, even the architecture seems to breathe. Gaudí’s legacy has left more than buildings; it has left messages in color and curve, in shadows and sunlight. To bring Hopepunk to this place is not just to hang art on walls—it is to participate in a conversation that has been echoing for over a century.
Barcelona, with its tangled alleys and wide boulevards, its wild parrots and tiled mosaics, is a city that does not hide its heart. It offers it—layered and luminous—to those who dare to look. Just like Hopepunk. Just like Gaudí.

What Is Hopepunk?

Hopepunk is more than an aesthetic. It is more than a storytelling movement. It is a call to action.

Coined by Alexandra Rowland in 2017 as a counterpoint to the dystopian trend in science fiction, Hopepunk stories are about more than survival. They are about thriving against the odds. About hope. Characters fight for connection, justice, and change—even when success isn’t guaranteed. They insist on purpose, and show us that gentleness can be powerful, and that kindness is a form of resistance.

But Hopepunk isn’t just about art or fiction. It’s a lens through which we can reimagine our world—from the way we govern and lead to the ways we build community. It asks us to reshape the future—not with fear, but with imagination, resilience, and solidarity.

Hope isn’t passive. It’s something we cultivate, defend, and fight for.

A Temple of Becoming: Gaudí and Nature as Guide

No city embodies the Hopepunk spirit like Barcelona, and no artist shaped that spirit more than Antoni Gaudí. His masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, is not simply a church. It is a breathing forest of faith—a place where stone bends like trees and where sunlight becomes prayer.

Gaudí believed the sacred could be found not outside of nature, but within it. His columns weren’t just made to look like trees—they are trees, translated into stone. His vaults echo the spiral of seashells. His staircases rise like vines. His facades mirror mountain ridges, coral beds, and honeycomb. Above all, his work is infused with reverence for the divine within the living world.

“The great book, always open and which we should make an effort to read, is that of Nature.” — Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí built slowly and deliberately, not chasing perfection, but honoring process. The Sagrada Família still remains unfinished—a visible metaphor for spiritual and creative growth. There are no harsh angles. No rigid lines. Only the flowing logic of rivers, roots, clouds, and galaxies.

Inside, light is not merely functional—it is sacred. Blues and greens fill the east side in the morning like water and renewal. Reds and oranges bathe the west at sunset, speaking of fire and transformation. The basilica becomes a living sundial, a prayer made visible across the hours.

To walk into the Sagrada Família is not to enter a structure, but to be received by one. It reminds us: creation is ongoing. Beauty is in process. Divinity lives in the in-between.

And this reverence for nature was not confined to one building. In Parc Güell, Gaudí designed undulating terraces, serpentine benches, and mosaic-covered creatures that echo natural topographies. In Casa Batlló, balconies resemble flower petals and bone, and the facade dances like water. At Casa Milà (La Pedrera), waves of stone sweep skyward, crowned by chimneys shaped like abstracted warriors or windswept stones.

Each of these places teaches us to read nature’s alphabet—to sense its rhythms in curve and color. Gaudí translated the soul of the Earth into architecture, and in doing so, gave us temples of movement and light.

In many ways, Gaudí was a Hopepunk visionary before the word existed. He showed us how art and architecture could be rooted in compassion, shaped by ecology, and open to mystery.

A Future Worth Fighting For

We are living through a time shaped by transition—technological, ecological, and existential. Climate shifts, social unrest, and rapid innovation collide, leaving many of us disoriented. And yet, amidst the chaos, a quiet and determined movement grows.

Hopepunk is part of that movement. It reminds us that even in the face of complexity, we can choose a different kind of future. One crafted not just through code and policy, but through creativity and care.

Science gives us tools. Art gives us meaning. Compassion gives us purpose. And together, they offer a blueprint for the future worth fighting for.

This sharing is not a conclusion. It is a beginning. A whispered question:

What would a Hopepunk hero do?

Perhaps they would slow down in a tunnel.
Perhaps they would hold their phone to a wall—and see.
Perhaps they would believe that art can be a doorway.
And maybe, just maybe, they would walk through.

The Tunnel as Portal: Where Hope Comes Alive

There is something poetic about exhibiting these pieces in a metro tunnel. It’s not a destination. It’s not a beginning or an end. It’s a place in-between—where people pass, pause, and carry their stories.

The tunnel becomes a metaphor for our times: a liminal space of movement, transition, and potential. Where even beneath layers of concrete and city noise, light can still enter. In this moment of global flux, we are all, in some way, walking between stations—between what was and what could be. And Hopepunk meets us there.

Two Hopepunk works now breathe with the city’s pulse. Hopepunk XVI and Hopepunk XVII are not just images to observe—they are experiences to enter. As the artist behind Novisali, I’ve brought the Hopepunk vision from speculative fiction litterature into public art space—art that doesn’t merely depict hope, but embodies it. Art that invites participation.

Positioned on Billboard 28 in the Barcelona Art Tunnel at Passeig de Gràcia metro station, the pieces mark a moment of beauty and possibility amid transit and transformation. Here, in this underground corridor between L3 and L4, light, movement, and meaning converge in a living invitation to pause.

Through Augmented Reality, each piece becomes a living story. By visiting Novisali.com, scanning the QR code, and pointing your phone to the artwork, layers emerge. Color pulses. Movement begins. The artwork comes alive—and with it, your imagination.

The tunnel becomes more than a corridor. It becomes a threshold. A reminder that even in the most ordinary places, the extraordinary can unfold.
Because hope is not something we inherit. It’s something we create.

Visit the Art Exhibition in Barcelona

• Hopepunk XVI and Hopepunk XVII
• Location: Barcelona Art Tunnel, Passeig de Gràcia Station (Corridor L3–L4)
• Billboard 28, Row 2, Columns 3 & 4
• On View: Now until June 29
• AR Experience: Novisali.com
• Read more about the Barcelona Art Tunnel Exhibition

Explore related Virtual Art Exhibition: Hopepunk – Futures of Radical Hope

In addition to joining the Art Tunnel Exhibition, enjoy more artworks for the series “Hopepunk: Futures of Radical Hope” by Novisali

Step into a world where hope is a strategy and creativity sparks transformation. This exhibition celebrates resilience, kindness, and bold imagination, inspired by the Hopepunk movement.

Through visionary art, explore how individuals, companies and communities can defy challenges, reimagine the impossible, and build a future rooted in compassion and purpose.

Explore the virtual exhibition with the support of our Art Guide below.

Reflect Using the AI-Powered Reflection Guide

Use the Novisali Art Reflection Guide AI Companion to explore your chosen artwork. The guide will prompt you to:

• Describe the artwork in your own words.
• Reflect on the emotions, thoughts, and recent experiences it brings to mind.
• Identifying simple, actionable priorities inspired by your reflections.
• Summarizing your insights and shaping a meaningful next step forward.

Please Note: 

This AI-powered guide, created with ChatGPT, is designed to inspire personal reflection and action through engagement with Novisali’s artwork. For critical decisions, always consult a trusted advisor or professional. Use of the guide requires your own (free) ChatGPT account.

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE:

Neither Novisali nor Digoshen tracks or stores any user data. By using the Novisali AI Reflection Guide, you accept responsibility for your own data choices. To opt out of OpenAI’s model training, go to “Settings” > “Data Controls” in ChatGPT and disable “Improve the model for everyone,” or manage preferences through OpenAI’s Privacy Portal. Conversations may be retained by OpenAI for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring before permanent deletion.

More inspiration

Read Earlier related blogpost:

Playlist on Spotify: Hopepunk

About Novisali 

This blog post was originally shared at the blog of the blog of Digoshen  www.digoshen.com,  the Digoshen & Boards Impact Forum Chair and founder www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali and on the blog on Novisali.com .

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member, advisor and coach, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

The post Sanctuaries of Becoming first appeared on Novisali.

(Finn den svenska bloggposten > HÄR)

Introduction: The Traces That Shape Us

There are moments when life slows.
When the wind hushes just enough for us to hear something deeper—
not a voice, but a knowing.

You look down and see a footprint. Maybe your own. Maybe someone else’s.
A trace. A reminder. A gesture.

This blog post is a reflection on footprints—not only the ones we leave, but the ones we find. On the courage it takes to walk. The beauty of what passes. The power of being fully here. And the invitation to reconnect—with the world, with others, with yourself.

As summer reaches the Swedish coast, we will return to Tylösand— not only as artists, but as humans walking a shore that has witnessed thousands of silent stories.

This is a path worth pausing for.

Footprints as Acts of Courage

There is a certain kind of silence in taking a step that no one sees.

Courage, in its rawest form, is not about heroics. It is about presence. It’s about being there—with your doubts, your scars, your not-yet-answered questions—and moving anyway. Every footprint is a testament to motion. To a moment when you stood at the edge of uncertainty and chose not to retreat.

There is courage in leaving. In staying. In saying yes. And even more, in saying no.

Sometimes it takes all our strength just to lift a foot from the place we’ve grown stuck in. The first step out of grief. The first attempt to speak. The decision to try again—differently. These are not the moments the world celebrates, but they are the ones that shape us.

Courage is the muscle behind all meaningful change. It is the threshold energy that transforms reflection into action. In coaching, we often see this bravery in the quiet spaces—in the pause before truth is spoken, in the shaky laughter after insight arrives shares Institue of Coaching (links furhter below).

The famous Austrian Poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), knew this courage. In his Letters to a Young Poet, he wrote:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves.”

A footprint doesn’t need to be deep to be meaningful. It just needs to be yours. Laid down with presence. With willingness. With whatever strength you had in that moment.

Reflective prompt:

What is a small step you’ve already taken that was more courageous than you’ve allowed yourself to acknowledge?

What new beginning might be waiting quietly just beneath your feet?

Footprints as Reminders of Impermanence

The tide always comes.

We walk anyway.

Footprints in the sand carry an honest truth: nothing lasts. And in that fleetingness lies a quiet invitation—not to grasp more tightly, but to live more presently.

Impermanence is not a flaw in the design. It is the design.

From Zen teachings we are reminded that impermanence (mujo) is not a concept to understand, but a rhythm to embody. They teach that letting go is not detachment but participation in life’s ongoing renewal. “Emptiness is not nothingness—it is potential” as shared in the article Everything is connected from the Musubi Acadmey.  

Ephemeral rituals like Tibetan sand mandalas—labors of intricate beauty swept away moments after completion, reminding us that value lies in presence, not permanence, as shared in the article The dust that measures all our time in the Public Doamin Review.  

There is also wisdom in how nature itself erases and rewrites. Andy Goldsworthy’s ephemeral land art exists in communion with the elements, destined to vanish and yet fully alive in its vanishing.

There is also wisdom in how nature itself erases and rewrites. Andy Goldsworthy’s ephemeral land art exists in communion with the elements, destined to vanish and yet fully alive in its vanishing.

As Oliver Sacks wrote in his final essay:
“I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude.”

Impermanence humbles us. But it also liberates. If everything is in motion, then we are allowed to begin again.

Reflective prompt:

What might you hold more gently—if you embraced the truth that it will change?

What beauty can only exist because it doesn’t last?

Footprints as Markers of Presence in a Distracted Age

In today’s world, we move quickly—too quickly to notice where we’ve been, or where we are. Yet footprints only form when we touch the ground. They only appear when we slow down enough for our presence to leave a trace.

To leave a footprint is to say: I was here. I was awake. I paid attention.

That might sound simple, but in an age of algorithmic noise, being present is radical. It requires us to claim our own pace in a world that urges speed. It requires choosing awareness over autopilot.

Attention is a capability—a trainable way of interacting with the world, with implications for wellbeing, creativity, and collective intelligence, as explored by Institute for the Future (IFTF) . 

The way we pay attention is the way we shape our lives.

The american author Annie Dillard, wrote:
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”, as reflected in the Marginalian.  

A footprint is a record of embodied attention. It doesn’t ask for perfection. It just invites presence.

Reflective prompt:

What space in your life needs a footprint—not of busyness, but of presence?

How might you begin to practice noticing again?

Footprints as Calls to Reconnect

A footprint is never just yours. It’s always part of something larger.

It holds the echo of those who came before and makes space for those who follow. It touches not just sand, but memory, story, belonging.

In an age that often separates us—by screen, by pace, by fear—footprints remind us we are 

People have always moved. Journeys across land and sea mark hope, displacement, resilience, and search for meaning. Every step carries more than just weight—it carries history, longing, and possibility, as shared by the global coverage by The Atlantic.

The symbolic maps Carte de Tendre, a 17th-century allegorical map of human connection—imaginative tools for understanding our emotional geography, as highighted in the Public Doamin Review. 

In coaching, reconnection is often a return: to values, to purpose, to relationship. The Institute of Coaching points out that leaders and individuals need to remember they do not walk alone—and that to lead is to listen, to feel, to relate.

To walk with awareness is to reweave connection—to the shore, to community, to something sacred and shared.

Reflective prompt:

Who walks with you—even when they’re not beside you?

What would it mean to walk in deeper relationship—with the world, with others, with yourself?

Returning to the Shore: A Summer Invitation

Each summer, the shores of Tylösand invite us back—not just to walk, but to wonder.

In this year’s selective exhibition, Footprints in the Sand, we return to familiar artworks with unfamiliar eyes. The same works, yet not the same viewers. We are changed. You are changed. And the footprints we notice now may not be the ones we saw before.

Some footprints are barely visible.
Some we try to erase.
Others we didn’t know we were leaving at all.

This exhibition is a pause—a soft space to notice.
To trace what remains. To imagine what comes next.

You are warmly invited to join us both Virtually and in Tylösand—
to reflect deeply, sit quitely, walk slowly, and let the artworks meet you where you are.

Because the footprints we leave are not just impressions.
They are invitations.

An Art Exhibition – Footprints in the sand at Transient Tylösand’s

 Virtual Art Exhibition Transient Tylösand / Virtuell utställning Transient Tylösand
(click on the picture below )

The art exhibition includes a song about Tylösand.

The dates for the physical art exhibition in Tylösand will be announced shortly. Read more about when via this link.

Further Reading & Inspiration:

• Institute of Coaching – On courage and relational leadership
• Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke.
• Musubi Academy – On impermanence and Everything is Connected. 
• Public Domain Review – On The dust that measures all our times and Maps of Love, Coutship and Matrimony
• My predominant reeling is one of gratitude by Oliver Sacks
• Andy Goldsworthy’s ephemeral land art 
• The Marginalian – On Annie Dillard, Rilke, and attention
• Institute for the Future (IFTF) – On Future of Attention Economy
• The Atlantic – On human migration, memory, and belonging and The praise of Journeys

Read the previous related Blogpost With Footprints in the Sand

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post was is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Footprints We Leave, Footprints We Find first appeared on Novisali.

Every footprint tells a story. Some fade with the tide, others linger in memory.

Some of life’s most profound moments arrive quietly — a glance, a sunset, the touch of a wave at our feet. We might not notice their weight at the time. Yet, like footprints pressed into wet sand, they shape us in ways we only understand much later.

As the soft notes of Footprints in the Sand play  listen here, we’re reminded of how those invisible presences — of people, of time, of grace — walk alongside us.

There is something elemental about walking along a shoreline. With each step, we leave behind a delicate imprint — a personal marker, briefly visible, vulnerable to wind and water. The next wave may erase it, and yet for a moment, it existed. It mattered.

Footprints remind us of presence. Of movement. Of passing through.
Some vanish quickly, like fleeting thoughts or sudden feelings.
Others stay with us — not in the sand, but within us — as memories, as transformations, as quiet truths we carry forward.

The shoreline becomes a metaphor:
Where permanence meets impermanence.
Where what was merges with what’s becoming.
Where we pause between land and sea, past and future, self and world.

And in that in-between, something opens. Perhaps it’s:
• The impermanence of time, mirrored in waves that erase yesterday’s paths — reminding us to cherish the now.
• The quiet power of presence, in pausing to observe a shadow on the dune, a pattern in the sand, the light glimmering across the water.
• The warmth of connection, in footsteps that follow one another, in shared silence, in the memory of a moment that left its mark.

To walk along the beach with music rising in the air — like this violin version of You Raise Me Up, filmed by the sea— is to feel how art, nature, and emotion converge in one breath.

Not all stories are spoken. Not all journeys are grand.
But every footprint holds the possibility of meaning.
Some are solitary. Some are side-by-side.
Some appear, then disappear.
And some stay with us — not because they lasted, but because they touched something deep within.

As the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote:

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time…

These lines are a gentle reminder that our lives — and our creations — carry meaning beyond ourselves. A trace we leave might be the encouragement someone else needs to keep going. A step we took might help another find their way.

Reflections Along the Shoreline of Memory

Which footprints have shaped me?
Think of the moments, people, or places that left a mark on you — not with noise, but with presence.
A glance, a decision, a season of life.
What did they awaken in you? What have they taught you?

Which footprints do I like to be reminded of?
Not all imprints fade. Some you return to, again and again.
A sunset you carry in your chest. A voice that still calms you. A choice you’re proud of.
What brings you strength, warmth, or clarity when you remember it?

Which footprints am I ready to let the tide wash away?
Some marks are heavy. Some are no longer yours to carry.
A story you’ve outgrown. A fear that’s done its time. A memory that no longer defines you.
What are you willing to release – gently, without force – to make space for something new?

An Art Exhibition Rooted in Tylösand’s Soul

With Footprints in the Sand is not just an art exhibition — it’s a tribute to moments that once were, to golden hours by the sea, and to the quiet presence of nature that continues to shape us long after we’ve left the shoreline.

From wind-swept dunes to sunlit waves, this exhibition gathers a carefully curated selection of indoor and outdoor artworks inspired by Tylösand — a place where many of us have laughed, reflected, wandered, and found stillness.

Get a glimpse of Tylösand today from above in this peaceful drone view, and sense how the beach continues to tell stories.

Each piece holds a trace of someone’s steps…
…a family’s summer walk across the warm sand,
…a solitary morning watching the sea dissolve into sky,
…a fleeting feeling that somehow stayed.

What You’ll Experience:
• Artworks that speak to memory and motion, created in diverse techniques — from watercolors and digital art to sculpture and installation.
• A walk through inner and outer spaces, where the boundaries between gallery walls and open air blur like footprints on a breezy beach.
• Stories behind the works, inviting visitors to recall their own memories or to simply pause and be present.

This exhibition is a warm reminder that beauty doesn’t need to last forever to leave an imprint.

Explore Tylösand’s rich history through this film from 1939 (start at 8:20) or dive into the story of Hotell Tylösand from 1915 — places that still echo in the present.

Welcome to visit:

Physical Art Exhibition April 20 15-17 in Tyludden Tylösand – With Footprints in the Sand/
Fysisk utställning 20 april 15–17 i Tyludden Tylösand – Med spår i sanden
(click on the picture below)

Virtual Art Exhibition Transient Tylösand / Virtuell utställning Transient Tylösand
(click on the picture below )

In the art exhibition is including a song about Tylösand. a Swedish song about Tylösand can be found below;

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post was is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post With Footprints in the Sand first appeared on Novisali.

In a recent conversation between Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management and Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), this question took center stage. Strannegård passionately argues for the integration of art, aesthetics, and culture into business education to cultivate creativity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. These qualities, he suggests, will be key to future leadership.

The Role of Art in Leadership and Business

Art has long played a pivotal role in shaping leadership and business. Engaging with artistic and aesthetic experiences fosters creativity, enhances emotional intelligence, and sharpens decision-making. Art challenges individuals to see beyond conventional structures, encouraging them to embrace complexity, think innovatively, and communicate with nuance.

In the business world, leaders who incorporate aesthetic thinking develop a deeper capacity to navigate uncertainty and inspire others. As AI continues to take over analytical and repetitive tasks, the ability to interpret the unspoken, embrace ambiguity, and lead with empathy will become invaluable. By integrating artistic perspectives into leadership, organizations can cultivate cultures of innovation, adaptability, and human connection.

Arts-Based Training in Organizations: Many organizations have adopted arts-based training programs to address various employee development needs. These programs aim to foster creative thinking, develop new leadership models, and strengthen skills in collaboration, conflict resolution, and change management. Such art based learning initiatives have been implemented in numerous Fortune 500 companies, reflecting a growing recognition of the arts’ value in business contexts. ​

Art-Based Coaching: Incorporating art into coaching practices has emerged as an effective approach to leadership development. By engaging clients in creative processes, art-based coaching facilitates deeper self-reflection, enhances emotional awareness, and encourages innovative problem-solving strategies. This method leverages the expressive nature of art to unlock new perspectives and insights, contributing to more effective leadership.​ Studies have shown considerable impact of art-based leadership development on various dimensions of leadership capabilities. 

The Science Behind Aesthetic Engagement

Research supports the significant benefits of engaging with artistic and aesthetic experiences:

• Creativity Enhancement: A report by the Arts Education Partnership in About Visual art Education  ​indicates that students involved in art programs demonstrate greater proficiency in creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Engaging with art encourages individuals to think flexibly and explore new perspectives .
• Emotional Intelligence Development: The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence highlights how creative endeavors help cultivate emotional intelligence, improving emotional regulation and interpersonal skills.
• Decision-Making Improvement: Studies suggest that positive emotions, often stimulated by artistic activities and Creativity  ​, enhance cognitive flexibility and improve decision-making processes.

These findings reinforce the idea that art is not just a luxury—it is an essential tool for developing the cognitive and emotional skills that define effective leadership in an AI-powered world.

Education vs. Cultivation: Nurturing Leaders for an AI-Powered World

In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the concepts of ‘utbildning’ (education) and ‘bildning’ (cultivation or holistic personal development) gain renewed significance. Lars Strannegård emphasizes that while ‘utbildning’ equips individuals with specific skills and knowledge, ‘bildning’ fosters a deeper understanding of oneself and the world, nurturing empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

Strannegård advocates for integrating the arts and humanities into business education, asserting that such interdisciplinary exposure enriches students’ perspectives and enhances their ability to navigate complex, ambiguous situations. He posits that this holistic approach not only prepares individuals for professional challenges but also cultivates responsible and reflective citizens.

At SSE, students are exposed to art and philosophy alongside traditional business subjects, challenging them to think beyond numbers. This philosophy manifests through initiatives like The Art Initiative, which incorporates art installations and collaborations within the academic environment. Such initiatives serve as intellectual stimuli, encouraging students to engage in reflective and critical thinking beyond traditional business paradigms.

Embracing ‘bildning’ alongside ‘utbildning’ aligns with the demands of an AI-driven world, where uniquely human qualities such as empathy, creativity, and ethical judgment become increasingly vital. By fostering these attributes, educational institutions can prepare leaders who not only excel in their fields but also contribute thoughtfully and compassionately to society.

The Unbreakable Human Spirit

AI can analyze vast amounts of data, but it sometimes lacks the human intuition to create with meaning, the depth to tell truly resonant stories, and the ability to forge genuine emotional connections. What sets humans apart is our ability to find meaning in the abstract, to see beauty in imperfection, and to embrace paradoxes that machines struggle to comprehend. Throughout history, art and storytelling have helped societies navigate uncertainty, offering solace in times of change and inspiring bold visions of the future.

In leadership, this human spirit manifests in the ability to empathize, to inspire, and to cultivate environments where people thrive—not just function. The greatest leaders do not simply make decisions; they ignite imagination, foster emotional resilience, and create a sense of shared purpose. As we stand at the intersection of AI and humanity, our challenge is not just to adapt but to lead with heart, wisdom, and an unwavering belief in human potential. Leaders who cultivate aesthetic intelligence will not only be better decision-makers but will also be able to shape company cultures that inspire and engage.

This resonates deeply with my work as Novisali, where I explore the intersections of art, leadership, and transformation. Through guided reflections, creative collaborations, and exhibitions, I invite people to engage with the “in-between spaces” of meaning—where logic meets intuition, and structure meets fluidity.

Welcoming You to “Radiant Voices: Women Through Art“

As part of this journey, I am glad to invite you to the virtual mini-exhibition today on Intenrationa Womens Day, titled “Ridiant Voices”. Women Illuminating the Future, celebrating the resilience, creativity, and leadership of women, over generations. This exhibition will offer moments of reflection, encouraging us to explore the unseen dimensions of leadership through art.

We stand at a fascinating threshold—one where AI and humanity must co-evolve. By embracing the artistic and emotional dimensions of leadership, we unlock new pathways for navigating an ever-changing world.

Join me in this conversation. Let’s celebrate the art of leadership together. Welcome to join the virtual art exhibition Radiant Voices

More Inspiration

Listen to the inspirational interview of Lars Strannegård, Dean at the Stockholm School of Economics, conducted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management—one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, owning shares in over 9,000 companies worldwide.

Tangen, an art patron, has also founded art museum Kunstsilo, a museum dedicated to Nordic modernist art.

Learn more about the Art Initiative at School School of Economics 

Explore and join the Art Exhibition outside Stockholm until March 29 “Potential of the In-Between“, with several guided reflections.

Related Blogposts

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post was is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Leadership Renaissance with Art, AI & Human Leadership first appeared on Novisali.

This exhibition explores the spaces in between—the often unseen gaps where new possibilities emerge. Between what we know and what we have yet to discover. Between the artwork and the viewer. Between the past and the future. Witnessing your reactions to these themes has been deeply inspiring.

A special thank you to those who engaged in thoughtful reflection, shared your insights, and expressed how the art resonated with you—the emotions it evoked, the memories it stirred, the perspectives it revealed. Your engagement is a powerful reminder that art is a living conversation, shaped by those who experience it.

To those who selected a piece to bring into your home—thank you. Your support not only gives these artworks a new life but also extends to the Skokloster Art Association, ensuring that creativity continues to thrive. I hope these pieces spark new dialogues and meanings in their new settings.

Thank you for filling this space with presence, conversation, and possibility.

Exhibition & Upcoming Guided Reflections

The exhibition remains open until March 29, and I warmly welcome you all to visit.
I also invite you to join our guided reflections at 13:00 on three Saturdays, where we will explore different themes together:

 March 8 – Guiding Lights & Diserna (on International Women’s Day)
 March 22 – Space & Water Mirror (on International Water Day)
 March 29 – Future Perspectives

As Leonardo da Vinci once said; 

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” 

Perhaps it is within the in-between—the unfinished, the undefined—that the most profound insights take shape.

Gratitude & Acknowledgments

A special thank you to those who contributed to making this vernissage possible:

 My husband Magnus and sons Elvin & Vidar for their invaluable support in selecting and hanging the exhibition, hosting, and guiding reflections, and to Marco & Robert for encouragement..
Maud at Skokloster Art Association, for the invitation and Håbo Library for hosting, with Anton for curatorial support and Christina for assisting on vernissage day.

Deep thanks to those who have shaped my artistic journey:

 My supporting Mother Kerstin, who started her journey at Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and then kept an art interest and production over the years, to my Father Lars, how increased his art focus in his latter years with art in clay. And my dear sister Eva-Lena for all support and ongoing encouragement.
 To the relatives that tried different routes before me. My father’s aunt Engla, who was one of the female trailblazing photographers in southern Sweden with a focus in documentation and new photography art reflections. To my grandfather Allan who was an inspiring poet in his spare time. 
 My dear Aquarelle Group members—Eva, Carina, Katrin, Christina, Karin, and Ingela—for your collaboration, encouragement, and generous friendship.
 The many inspiring artist teachers over the years, with a special mention to Inger and Anders Myren.
 My leadership colleague Gunnel Pettersson who always found ways to balance business and culture.
 My trailblazing sculptor friend Inger Sannes for being a guiding light.
 The Artipelag family, with former fellow board members Siri and Tobbe, and founders Björn and Lillemor, for reawakening my art journey and connecting me with Maud.
  Lidija Drobez, fellow Harvard Institute of Coaching (IOC) member, for our invaluable exchanges on integrating art into coaching, and sharing experience on printing art on silk. .
  Refik Anadol, for inspiring leadership as trailblazing digital artist Using AI and data to make immersive art and using it as Catalyst for Change even in World Economic Forum settings of preserving nature and the planet.

And to my cherished friends:

 Christina & Peter, Carin & Po, Anna & Nenne, Lena, and Anders & Tina, for your steadfast friendship and encouragement.

I look forward to see many old and new contacts and friends at the upcoming guided reflections March 8, 22 or 29 – welcome!

With gratitude,
 Novisali – Liselotte Engstam

Related Earlier blogposts  

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post was is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Illuminating the In-Between: A Heartfelt Thank You first appeared on Novisali.

(the text is also available in english further down)

En resa genom Hopp, Ljus, Paradis och Mellanrum

Stig in i en värld där gränserna mellan dåtid och framtid, verklighet och fantasi upplöses. “Mellanrummens Möjligheter” är en konstutställning som utforskar gränslandet till förändring —de flyktiga ögonblicken mellan mörker och ljus, osäkerhet och klarhet, stillhet och rörelse. Det är en hyllning till övergången, där varje paus rymmer potentialen för något nytt att uppstå.

Låt oss gärna veta om ni planerar besöka utställningen

Leonardo da Vinci sa en gång: “Konst blir aldrig färdig, den överges bara.” Hans förmåga att röra sig mellan discipliner—att förena konst, vetenskap och filosofi—inspirerar grunden i denna utställning. Det är i mellanrummet, i det ofullbordade och det ständigt föränderliga, som nya möjligheter föds.

Utställningen är skapad av Novisali, den konstnärliga aliasen för Liselotte Engstam, en autodidakt konstnär som har målat med akvarell i över 40 år. Under de senaste nio åren har hon utvidgat sitt konstnärliga uttryck genom digitala tekniker och omformat sina verk till nya format och material. Hennes konstnärliga resa förenar tradition och innovation, där den organiska flödet i akvarellen möter den digitala världens obegränsade möjligheter. Genom sitt arbete bjuder Novisali in betraktaren till en resa av reflektion, övergång och upptäckt.

Som Joi Ito, tidigare chef för MIT Media Lab, påminner oss om: “Framtiden är inte något vi går in i. Framtiden är något vi skapar.”  Konstverken i denna utställning återspeglar denna filosofi—varje verk är en inbjudan att föreställa sig nya verkligheter, att navigera osäkerhet med nyfikenhet och att omfamna det okända som en plats för omvandling.

Utställningen innehåller utvalda verk från konstserierna Tomorrows Sentinels, The Space In-Between, Hopepunk, Pastel Paradise och Water Edge. Utställningen Mellanrummens Möjligheter är kurerad för att utforska de övergångar som formar oss—hoppet som finns i osäkerheten, ljuset som öppnar nya perspektiv, längtan efter paradiset och den obegränsade potentialen i mellanrummet. Istället för att påtvinga en mening bjuder dessa verk in till utforskning, där tolkningar är personliga, förändras och fördjupas över tid.

Refik Anadol, en pionjär inom AI-driven digital konst, föreslår att “Osäkerhet är en av de vackraste sakerna i livet—den leder oss till oändliga möjligheter.” Denna utställning omfamnar just den tanken, och låter betraktaren kliva in i ögonblick av förändring, där gränsen mellan verklighet och fantasi blir flytande.

Varje verk fungerar som en portal, som leder betraktaren bortom fasta tolkningar och in i en värld av personlig upptäckt och transformation. Tryckta på material som återvinningsbar aluminium, naturlig siden och växtbaserad återvunnen mocka, förkroppsligar verken själva temat förändring och hållbarhet—där linjen mellan beständighet och utveckling, tradition och innovation, det påtagliga och det eteriska suddas ut.

Mer än en visuell upplevelse är denna utställning en inbjudan till engagemang. Som Otto Scharmer, författare till Theory U, säger: “Energi följer uppmärksamhet. Där du riktar din uppmärksamhet, dit går systemets energi.” Genom guidad reflektion och tankeväckande dialoger uppmuntras besökare att utforska sina egna resor av förändring, kulturell fusion och självinsikt.

Brené Brown talar om vikten av att kliva in i det okända: “Du kan välja mod eller så kan du välja bekvämlighet. Du kan inte ha båda.” Denna utställning uppmanar betraktarna att våga sig in i modig utforskning, att möta osäkerhet och att finna mening i rummet mellan trygghet och förändring.

Jane McGonigal, framtidsforskare vid Institute for the Future, utmanar oss att föreställa oss alternativa framtider: “När vi spelar spel skapar vi ett utrymme där vi kan öva på att vara de bästa versionerna av oss själva.” På ett liknande sätt fungerar denna utställning som en lekplats för fantasin, där besökare kan experimentera med perspektiv, känslor och tolkningar.

Som Yuval Noah Harari (Homo Deus) påpekar: “Människor tänker i berättelser, och vi försöker förstå världen genom att berätta historier.” Denna utställning bjuder in varje besökare att kliva in i berättelsen om mellanrummet och reflektera över den historia de själva skapar genom sina egna transformationer.

Utställningsinformation

“Mellanrummens Möjligheter” visas på Bålsta bibliotek från den 1 mars till den 29 mars.

Utställningen invigs under vernissagen den 1 mars, kl. 13:00-15:00, och kan besökas under bibliotekets ordinarie öppettider.

Besökare får också möjlighet att delta i guidade reflektioner på följande utvalda dagar med start kl. 13:00:

• 8 mars – Ledstjärnor & Diserna (på Internationella Kvinnodagen)
• 22 mars – Rymd & Vattenspegel (på Internationella Vattendagen)
• 29 mars – Framtidsperspektiv

Låt oss gärna veta om ni planerar besöka utställningen:

Var befinner du dig i mellanrummet?

Svaret växer fram i rummet mellan det sedda och det kända, det påtagliga och det subtila, mellan konsten och betraktaren—där möjligheterna är oändliga.

Välkommen att besöka utställningen.

Exhibition: Potential of the In-Between

A Journey Through Hope, Light, Paradise, and the Space In-Between

Step into a world where the boundaries between past and future, reality and imagination dissolve. “Potential of the In-Between” is an art exhibition that explores the liminal spaces of transformation—the fleeting moments between darkness and light, uncertainty and clarity, stillness and motion. It is a celebration of transition, where each pause holds the potential for something new to emerge.

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” His ability to exist between disciplines—bridging art, science, and philosophy—inspires the essence of this exhibition. It is in the in-between, in the space of the unfinished and the evolving, that new possibilities emerge.

The exhibition is created by Novisali, the artistic alias of Liselotte Engstam, an autodidact artist who has been painting with watercolors for over 40 years. Over the past nine years, she has expanded her artistic expression through digital techniques, transforming her works into new formats and surfaces. Her artistic journey bridges tradition and innovation, embracing both the organic fluidity of watercolor and the limitless possibilities of digital expression. Through her work, Novisali invites viewers into a space of reflection, transition, and discovery.

As Joi Ito, former director of the MIT Media Lab, reminds us, “The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.” The artworks in this exhibition reflect this ethos—each piece is an invitation to imagine new realities, navigate uncertainty with curiosity, and embrace the unknown as a place of transformation.

The exhibition showcases selected artworks from the art series Tomorrows Sentinels, The Space In-Between, Hopepunk, Pastel Paradise, and Water Edge. This exhibition is curated to explore the transitions that shape us—hope found in uncertainty, the illumination of new perspectives, the longing for paradise, and the infinite potential of the in-between. Rather than imposing meaning, these artworks encourage exploration, revealing layers of personal interpretation that shift and evolve with time and perspective.

Refik Anadol, a pioneer of AI-driven digital art, suggests that “Uncertainty is one of the most beautiful things in life—it leads us to infinite possibilities.” This exhibition embraces that philosophy, allowing viewers to step into moments of flux and transformation, where the boundaries of reality and imagination become fluid.

Each piece serves as a portal, guiding the viewer beyond fixed interpretations and into a realm of personal discovery and transformation. Printed on materials such as reusable aluminum, natural silk, and plant-based faux suede, the artworks themselves embody the themes of transition and sustainability—blurring the line between permanence and evolution, tradition and innovation, the tangible and the ephemeral.

More than a visual experience, this exhibition is an invitation to engage. As Otto Scharmer, author of Theory U, states, “Energy follows attention. Wherever you place your attention, that is where the energy of the system will go.”  Through guided reflections and thought-provoking dialogues, visitors are encouraged to explore their own journeys of change, cultural fusion, and self-discovery.

Brené Brown speaks to the power of stepping into the unknown: “You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both.” This exhibition invites viewers to lean into courageous exploration, to engage with uncertainty, and to discover meaning in the space between comfort and transformation.

Jane McGonigal, a futurist at the Institute for the Future, challenges us to imagine alternative futures: “When we play games, we create a space where we can practice being the best versions of ourselves.” In a similar way, this exhibition serves as a playground for the imagination, where viewers can experiment with perspectives, emotions, and interpretations.

As Yuval Noah Harari (Homo Deus) notes, “Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of the world by telling stories.” This exhibition invites each visitor to step into the narrative of the in-between and consider the story they are shaping through their own transformations.

Exhibition Details

“Possibilities of the In-Between” will be on display at Bålsta Library from March 1 to March 29.

The exhibition will be introduced during the Vernissage on March 1, from 13:00 to 15:00, and can be visited during the library’s opening hours.

Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in guided reflections held on below selected days starting at 13:00:

• March 8 – Guiding Lights & Diserna (on International Women’s Day)
• March 22 – Space & Water Mirror (on International Water Day)
• March 29 – Future Perspective

Let us know if you plan to visit:

Where do you find yourself in the in-between?

The answer unfolds in the space between the seen and the felt, the known and the unknown, the art and the observer—where possibility is limitless.

Welcome to visit the exhibition.

About Novisali 

Novisali, (alias Liselotte Engstam), is besides her roles as professional board member and advisor, a multi-media artist, with a curious, explorative mind and an ambition to learn and extend art experiences to current and new audiences using both traditional and new digital mediums. More information and exhibitions can be found via Novisali.com

This blog post was is also shared at the blog of www.liselotteengstam.com, with the artist name Novisali.

The post Mellanrummens Möjligheter/ Potential of the In-Between first appeared on Novisali.