By JEN JORDAN

The Stuart Collection at the University of California San Diego will host “Breathe with Me,” a multi-day public art and breathing project that focuses on mental health, mindfulness, and community Oct. 24-26.

Held at the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego, this Stuart Collection project by artist Jeppe Hein is free of charge and presented in partnership with UC San Diego’s Campus Performance and Events Office in collaboration with the Tritons Belong initiative.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeppe Hein’s ‘Breathe with Me’ to UC San Diego,” said UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Alysson Satterlund. “The arrival of such an impactful, world-renowned artistic endeavor underscores our university’s commitment to being a vibrant destination for students, staff, faculty and the community to experience art and culture in transformational ways.”

“Creative expression is an innate human need, and through experiences like ‘Breathe with Me,’ we can find our center and nurture wellbeing,” said Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta. “Meaningful programs like these are being intentionally curated at UC San Diego as part of the Chancellor’s Arts Initiative, which activates the entire university as a lively location to learn about and experience art.”

This event asks attendees to paint parallel strokes on a canvas while meditatively focusing on their breathing. It is the first Stuart Collection public program, an annual cross-departmental commissioning initiative of in-person projects by internationally renowned artists that encourages interaction among the community. Programs are expected to occur at the beginning of each school year. This program joins the Stuart Collection’s distinguished collection of 22 site-specific permanent installations at UC San Diego.

“The mindfulness that participation in Jeppe Hein’s ‘Breathe with Me’ requires is something that members of the UC San Diego community and beyond can carry with them throughout their lives,” said Director and Curator of the Stuart Collection Jess Berlanga Taylor. “It is more than an installation; it is a shared journey into the heart of creativity and connection. We can’t wait to see how these beautiful expressions of art and wellness inspire our collective experience.”

“The Stuart Collection includes some of the most important works of art in the United States and many of the artists rank among my role models,” said Hein. “It is a huge honor for me to realize a project here. At the same time, I look forward to breathing with the community on the vivid UC San Diego campus to feel and visualize our connection. Life begins with an inhale and ends with an exhale. In between, we all breathe and live different lives. And yet, each breath keeps us connected, sharing the same air.”

Conscious breathing became a critical element of Hein’s life nearly a decade ago when he began incorporating internal awareness into his work. This practice was first seen in Hein’s “Breathing Watercolours” (2015), which he scaled into artwork that involved public participation. Hein has brought “Breathe with Me” to communities worldwide and has hosted installations internationally at Engadin Art Talks in Zuoz, Switzerland, the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen and Parkview Green in Beijing, among other locations.

“Breathe With Me” emphasizes the importance of slowing down, centering ourselves and recognizing the significance of mental health and self-awareness in our daily lives.

“Breathe with Me is a tool for promoting understanding and compassion by providing a space for UC San Diego community members to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others,” said UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Becky Petitt. “It is a place to come together and experience the intrinsic physical, emotional, and mental benefit of working together in a united and harmonious manner.”

By connecting breathwork with artistic expression, participants are encouraged to be more present, reflective, and empathetic. The communal nature of the event promotes unity, as people from different backgrounds and experiences come together and realize that we all share the essential human experience of breathing. “Breathe with Me” cultivates compassion and fosters connection in the community. Hein’s strategically designed program encourages participants to enjoy a moment of mindfulness and connect with members of the UC San Diego community through a shared love of art and interpersonal engagement.

Register for the event here.

Photo by Jan Strempel / Studio Jeppe Hein