Baukunst Hosts "Forms of Life: The Center," a Philosophical Exhibition Organized by Researcher-in-Residence Toby Shorin
As part of a research residency with cultural researcher Toby Shorin, Baukunst hosted Forms of Life: The Center on March 28, 2025. Forms of Life was a philosophical exhibition exploring physical space as a locus for community and spiritual needs in the modern era. The exhibition examined what it takes to rethink traditional institutions to better serve contemporary communities.
THE SHOW: A display of what could be
Designed as a multi-layered experience by Shorin and co-curator, artist and spiritual care provider, Forms of Life: The Center departed from the traditional gallery format. It incorporated visual art, interactive gathering nooks, video, and a curated display of books and research that informed Shorin’s developing study, “Prototyping New Forms of Care,” a framework for reimagining community spaces and modern wellness.
THE DINNER: an exercise in how to do it
A key component of the exhibition was an experimental dinner, where co-curators invited over 25 leaders from organizations dedicated to fostering human connection and deeper meaning. Participants included representatives from institutions such as UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Alchemy Springs, Commonweal, and Wu Wei Tea Temple. Through facilitated exercises, attendees reflected on their missions, discussed systemic challenges, and explored new approaches to community-building.
The focus of Shorin’s research connects directly with Baukunst’s broader vision: to cultivate close-knit connections within our creative technology community. By engaging with the evolving landscape of communal spaces, we aim not only to advance the art of building but also to reimagine how communities take shape—fostering dialogue, action, and meaningful change.
First, a dinner with community leaders and wellness practitioners
Bringing concept into practice, one of the first events hosted by Shorin and Engel was the community dinner, which brought over 25 cultural and institutional leaders from spaces like UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Commonweal, and Wu Wei Tea Temple to a communal table. Together, they explored a single question: How do we build spaces of meaning and connection in a fragmented world?
Facilitated exercises sparked real talk on mission, systems, and the slow work of communal healing.
The exhibition
On March 28th, friends were welcomed into the Baukunst Studio, which was transformed into an immersive exhibition embodying Shorin’s explorations on community care. Some of the exhibition works included photographs by artist-activist Sharon Avraham featured alternative communes and collectives and their centers of life.
The space featured works in ceramic, glass, and light from Oakland-based sculptor Annie Artell, whose work explores architectural forms with spiritual significance in the tradition of the Universal Constructivist movement. In a corridor of the studio housed an experimental video work about the exhibition from artist & documentarian Ethan Goldwater, who documents consciousness movements, leaders, and centers in the Bay Area and elsewhere.
How the idea began
The project grew out of a months-long Baukunst residency focused on magic—interpreted broadly, from Western esotericism to Neoplatonic design theory. His conclusion after research landed on the idea that form, or the way we shape physical and social space, is one of the most powerful tools we have for shaping reality.
“Social forms are forms of life,” Toby writes. “And the repertoire of forms dictates the kind of life available to us.”
In many ways, this show wasn’t just an art exhibition. It was a sketch toward new models of community infrastructure. Part manifesto, part test run.
Why this matters to us
At Baukunst, we believe in expanding what’s possible, not only in technology but in the ways we gather, care for each other, and imagine the future. Projects like “Forms of Life” are one way we explore that.
What if community centers were as innovative as startups? What if physical places were designed with the same care as software interfaces? What if building something magical was as simple as starting with your friends? We’re honored to have explored this topic with Toby, and create a space to share these radical ideas.