Our Mission

In the spirit of the ancient Greek agora and Enlightenment salon culture, the Public Sphere strengthens community by revitalizing the art of conversation, fostering the exchange of ideas and meaningful social interaction in physical space. We organize salon events across the world that actively engage citizens in critical issues shaping society, culture, art and politics.

The Public Sphere’s mission is to contribute to the betterment of humanity by creating stimulating intellectual environments and poetic experiences that re-enchant the world and advance principles of participatory democracy through sustained discourse and new encounters in the collective pursuit of knowledge and fellowship.

About Salons

A salon is a social gathering in which individuals come together to engage in the art of conversation and exchange ideas in pursuit of knowledge and fellowship. In a salon, a salonnière, an expert moderator, facilitates a shared discussion on a selected idea or issue in any field from the arts, sciences and culture to philosophy and politics.

Salon culture began in 16th century Italy and blossomed in 17th and 18th century Enlightenment Europe. Salons were traditionally founded on principles of egalitarianism and freedom of expression. They played a critical role in the development of a democratic, debate driven Public Sphere in Europe and were the catalyst of important intellectual, political, and artistic movements.

Our Activities

We organize many activities around the world, from regular city salons, to countryside festivals, salonnière training days and outreach initiatives. Our events are free, and open to the public  and all are welcome to join our community. We encourage a diversity of backgrounds, interests, and ideas to be expressed.

Our Salons

We host salons around the world on various topics in areas such as philosophy, literature, politics, art, and culture. We bring people together to discuss ideas with the objective of creating community and advancing intellectual movements or projects relevant to the 21st century. Our salons normally begin with a presentation by a distinguished speaker with specialized knowledge on the topic. Thereafter, salon participants converse on the topic with loose moderation by the salonnière and a “conversation menu” to stimulate discussion. The event usually concludes with chamber music, related to the topic, played by some of the finest professional musicians. Our salons takes place primarily in private homes, in keeping with the salons of the Enlightenment, but also in varied settings from parks and cafés, to castles, museums, and art studios. 

Our Salon Festivals

We host salon festivals in beautiful locations around the world. They serve as retreats that stimulate the intellect, catalyze new friendships and reconnect participants to nature. We combine thoughtful travel and adventure with intellectual salons, classical concerts, dancing, nature walks, and art events. 

We are committed to helping preserve beautiful architecture and spaces of historical significance. Our festival locations are carefully chosen for their aesthetic sublimity and intellectual history. Past festivals have taken place in spaces where Nietzsche, Rilke, and Mann, among others, worked and found inspiration. 

Our Salon Series

We host a number of salon series that bring people closer to nature and culture and allow them to reflect on their experiences through salon conversation. 

I. Salon Explorations 

In this salon series we unite the wilderness and ideas, explore the unknown, and embrace the beauty of nature to stimulate meaningful conversations. We travel to new natural landscapes where we take walks and engage in outdoor activities, conversing about our experiences in salon conversation. 

II. Art Salon

In this salon series we view an art exhibition and discuss the work with the artist or a speaker in a salon conversation. 

III. Cultural Excursions 

Int his salon series we attend a cultural event such as an opera or the symphony. Afterwards we discuss the history of the piece and the performance in a salon conversation. 

Salonnière Training & Outreach

We empower people to foster community in their city and make culture and ideas accessible to the public by offering free salonnière training. We help salonnières create and sustain their salon, offering resources, guidance, and support throughout the process.

We are committed to making our salons accessible to a greater public and fostering a welcoming and inclusive space for discourse that furthers the foundational principle of egalitarianism that the salonnières of the 17th and 18th century aspired to achieve.  We work to reach a diverse audience so that all know that our cultural resources and community are available to them free of cost.