A HOUSE FOR ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER

It has been said that a pessimist is an optimist who knows better.

It was also said that Schopenhauer’s philosophy was a pessimist one.

We wonder…!?!

What is pessimism…????????

What is optimism…??????????

Sometimes the “optimism” that is trumpeted to us by the media has such an exasperating emptiness that we would gladly trade it for the darkest pessimism.

Indeed, isn’t pessimism fuller, truer, more enriching and even more encouraging, actually, to continue to live…???

Paradoxically perhaps we find more hope in the fruitful descending than in the frivolous and futile “ascending” towards a light that is simply not there.

All religions, actually, encourage this fruitful “descending” that spirituality in its very essence is… a “descending” that culminates in its opposite: true ascension!

That pain is unavoidable in this life is not at all a secret. And not even paradoxes like the one Leonardo da Vinci expressed when he stated that Pain and Pleasure are twins can console us in our endless attempt to find peace, harmony, happiness.

It is our belief that this is what Schopenhauer himself searched for, but from the position of “the optimist who knows better.”

Descend, dear architect, descend into pessimism, if the so-called ideology of “being happy” brings you quite often on the verge of despair…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Descend, together with Schopenhauer, and explore the riches to be found “at the bottom,” as opposed to the glittering emptiness “at the top.”

Design A HOUSE FOR ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER, much more enriching than the empty “fullness” at the top.

You could envision this house being located in Frankfurt, where he lived his last 27 years, or in Berlin, where he studied, or in Dansk where he was born, or in Weimar, where he lived at the time when Goethe was still alive.

Please send us ANY work, ANY size and ANY format that responds to the theme to icarchgallery@yahoo.com. We will publish all the works received on our website. There is an entry fee of 30E (15E for students) payable by PayPal through the registration section of our website. The registration deadline is October 21^st, 2010. The deadline for submitting your work is November 21^st, 2010. This competition is our homage to

Schopenhauer, who died 150 years ago, on September 21^st, 1860.

If you have any questions please be kind and contact us.

Thank you,

ICARCH Gallery