CapricornConnect: People, Potential, Technology. podcast

August 19, 2026 #116 - Interview with Anne Labovitz - The Healing Power of Art

How Art Can Build a Better Society - Can Art Improve Our Well-Being?

Show Notes: Anne Labovitz | The Art of Human Connection

About This Episode:

➡️ What happens when art becomes more than an aesthetic experience and becomes a vehicle for connection, empathy and well-being?

➡️ In this episode of the CapricornConnect Podcast, Jakob Barandun speaks with acclaimed contemporary artist Anne Labovitz about the transformative potential of art and creativity. Anne's work combines immersive installations, sculpture, painting, light and color to create experiences that encourage people to slow down, connect and reflect.

➡️ With more than three decades of artistic practice and international exhibitions, Anne has developed a distinctive approach that places human connection at the center of contemporary art.

Anne begins by reflecting on one of her strongest early influences: her grandmother, who was an artist and painted Anne's portrait when she was a child.

During those sessions, her grandmother introduced her to Martin Buber's philosophy and the idea of genuinely encountering another person and recognizing them as an individual.

This early experience became an important foundation for Anne's belief that art can create meaningful human encounters.

She also draws inspiration from Viktor Frankl and his concept of tragic optimism: even in the face of suffering and uncertainty, we retain the ability to choose our attitude and create meaning.

One of Anne's most significant projects is “122 Conversations: Person to Person, Art Beyond Borders.”

The project brought Anne into intimate conversations with people in different parts of the world, including the Kurdish region of Iraq, Japan, Canada, Sweden and Russia.

Rather than simply asking questions, Anne focused on listening. She describes how people often revealed deeply personal experiences only after they felt genuinely heard. These conversations subsequently informed her artworks, transforming private human experiences into monumental public works.

For Anne, this became a contemporary form of portraiture, and a way of building peace one individual at a time.

The Power of Being Seen

One of the most powerful themes of the conversation is the simple human need to be seen and heard.

Anne explains that when she pauses long enough to genuinely listen to another person, something remarkable happens: a deeper connection emerges.

Her experience interviewing thousands of people has reinforced her belief that every individual has a unique story and that meaningful connection begins with attention, openness and empathy.

Anne describes color as her first language.

For her, color can communicate emotion, intensity and experience in ways that words cannot always capture.

She discusses how color is influenced by culture and lived experience. A color can have completely different meanings depending on where someone comes from and what experiences they associate with it.

Scale also plays an important role in her work. Monumental artworks can completely surround the viewer, creating an immersive experience she compares to taking a “color bath.”

Art and Well-Being

A major focus of Anne's practice is the relationship between art and well-being.

She discusses emerging research into how viewing art, spending time in art-filled environments and actively making art can influence our emotional and physiological state.

Anne also shares insights from her work with healthcare institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, where visual arts and other creative practices are being explored as part of more holistic approaches to health and recovery.

The conversation highlights an important shift: museums, hospitals and cultural institutions are increasingly considering how they can contribute to the well-being of the communities they serve.

Can Art Help Address Mental Health?

Anne believes art can play a meaningful role in supporting emotional well-being.

She discusses initiatives such as Art RX, where people may be encouraged to visit museums as part of broader approaches to health and well-being.

For Anne, the value is not simply in looking at art. It is also in creating opportunities for participation, reflection and social connection.

Art in a Polarized World

In a world increasingly characterized by polarization, isolation and tribal thinking, Anne believes artists have an important responsibility.

Her own work focuses on contemporary challenges such as the mental health crisis, loneliness and social division. Rather than approaching these issues only through political or intellectual debate, she creates experiences that encourage people to encounter one another.

Her Well-Being Wall is one example. Participants are invited to respond to the question:

“What does well-being mean to you?”

Their words and drawings become part of a collective installation, creating a visual conversation between strangers.

One person's contribution becomes something another person can encounter, and potentially relate to.

Public Art and the Power of Awe

Anne believes public art has a unique ability to reach people because there is often no barrier to entry.

You do not necessarily have to buy a ticket, visit a museum or deliberately seek it out. Public art can be encountered on streets, in parks, neighborhoods, airports and other everyday environments.

She also emphasizes the power of beauty, awe and wonder.

A sunset, a forest or a powerful work of art can temporarily shift our attention away from ourselves. That experience of awe can create a sense of connection and emotional openness.

Anne's personal creative philosophy is strikingly simple:

“Embrace failure.” She argues that experimentation and failure are essential to discovery. She shares the example of her Light Windows series, which took years of experimentation and failed attempts before she discovered how painting on both sides of translucent material could create a transformative effect when illuminated.

The lesson is clear: abandoning an idea after the first failure can mean missing the breakthrough that comes later.

Anne's second guiding principle is:

“Show up.” She rejects the romantic idea that artists should wait for inspiration before working. For Anne, creativity is a practice. You go to the studio. You work. You experiment. You try again. Even when nothing seems to be happening, showing up creates the possibility that something eventually will. The same principle, she suggests, applies to life more broadly: sometimes you cannot solve another person's problems, but you can show up for them.

Anne's Superpower:

When asked what superpower she would choose, Anne gives a very personal answer: she would like to not need sleep.

Her reason? She loves working and believes work itself contributes to her well-being.

It is a fitting response from an artist whose practice is driven by relentless curiosity, experimentation and creative energy.

Books, Biography and Inspiration:

Anne also shares her interest in biographies, historical fiction and stories centered on human relationships.

She mentions artist Mark Bradford as someone whose biography she would like to explore further, particularly because of his unconventional journey from working as a hairdresser to becoming one of America's most influential contemporary artists.

Key Takeaways

Connection begins with listening.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer another person is our full attention.

Art can create spaces for connection.

Creative experiences can bring people together beyond language, culture and political differences.

Color communicates beyond words.

Color can evoke emotions and experiences that are difficult to articulate verbally.

Creativity and well-being are deeply connected.

Art can create moments of reflection, calm, awe and emotional engagement.

Failure is part of discovery.

Creative breakthroughs often emerge through experimentation and persistence.

Show up.

In art and in life, consistent engagement creates opportunities that inspiration alone cannot.

Optimism can be practiced.

Anne's concept of visual optimism reflects her belief that acknowledging life's difficulties does not prevent us from recognizing beauty, possibility and hope.

Memorable Quotes:

“Color is my first language.”

“Art is a conduit for connection.”

“Embrace failure.”

“You’ve got to show up.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen if I don’t show up.”

About Anne Labovitz

Anne Labovitz is an acclaimed contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores human connection, empathy, well-being and community. Working across painting, sculpture, light and immersive installation, she creates large-scale experiences that transform personal stories and collective voices into visual environments. Her internationally recognized work demonstrates how contemporary art can become a platform for dialogue, participation and human connection.

About CapricornConnect

CapricornConnect – People. Potential. Technology.

The CapricornConnect Podcast brings together inspiring entrepreneurs, executives, innovators, investors, artists and thought leaders to explore the people, ideas and technologies shaping our future.

🎙️ Host: Jakob Barandun

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