golden-ratio

The Quest for Wisdom foundation (QfWf) is founded to stimulate the inter-cultural art of living

“Every culture passes on its wisdom to future generations to grow as a person on an inward journey to the quintessence, that connects all corners of the world. Thereby we flourish as a community, celebrating life in the cosmopolis “

In a tilting world order the QfWf aims to contribute towards a culture of openness and pluriformity by tapping into one’s own and shared historical roots. Using Art Dialogues to revitalize wisdom traditions worldwide and liberate ourselves from groupthink!

The Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living has been created to realize this mission. By the spinning of the Wheel around a yearly theme the three Quests flow together on our platform DeGuldenSnede – to be followed on these websites with QfWf-Programmes:

 
 

Wisdom Web

The Wisdom Web is both an archive and a forum for cultural exchange to promote wisdom connecting people and their cultures, something that our current times call for.

At the Wisdom Web, wisdom from all corners of the world is collected and presented in its own unique and symbolic way through the Wheel of intercultural art of living.

The Wisdom Web was launched in 2017 under the auspices of the Quest for Wisdom Foundation (QfWf).

To the Wisdomweb >

 

The Golden Ratio

Just as the principle of the Golden Ratio guides natural and cultural development — the growth of organisms like shells and plants, as well as beauty in music, poetry, and the visual arts — the QfWf aims to be a catalyst for connecting people with their cultural heritage, in harmony with natural wisdom and intercultural life skills as an expanding circle of global citizens.

The Golden Ratio works with annual themes. In 2026, this is “Intercultural Rituals for Global Citizenship.”

Naar de Gulden Snede >

 

Animal Wisdom 

is an intercultural storytelling programme: narratively and artistically designed animal wisdom from all corners of the world has been collected and presented through the Intercultural Wheel of Animal Wisdom.

Animals in their element ― in fables, art, fairy tales and myths ― inspire an elemental art of living!

The QfWf Animal Wisdom programme aims to collect animal wisdom from various cultures and develop them into engaging educational material. For the purpose of raising ecological as well as intercultural awareness on transcultural connections and symbolism.

To Animal Wisdom >

 

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Quest 2: The Golden Ratio

Wisdom from all over the world

Wisdom from all over the world is an expression of cultural diversity as well as of unifying principles, such as the Golden Ratio: the principle that is defining natural growth as well as the harmony by which we perceive beauty. Cultures have diverse symbols of natural wisdom and beauty, as well as moral knowledge that is passed on through proverbs — for example, by means of the Golden Rule: “What you would not want done to you, do not do so to another”.

The ancient wisdom in symbols, rituals and natural principles can be extracted from (animal) stories, containing a moral clue or example: such as how to become as clever as the fox, or wise as the crow, witty as the spider or courageous as a lion. Collective knowledge and experiences are conveyed through seasonal rituals for harvest and the transition of solstices with light festivals in which the passage through the four seasons is celebrated in culturally diverse forms.

The Quest for Wisdom seeks to gather ancient symbolic and ritual wisdom from cultural traditions as an intercultural language in order to cocreatively develop:

  • contemporary artistic forms as expressions of both diversity and transcultural values
  • transcultural values and narrative wisdom for developing practices for global citizenship

The developed activities and programmes are described in the Quest for Wisdom-Brochure..

Developing artistic educational materials

By focussing on uniting principles like the Golden Ratio and the Golden Rule in culturally diverse materials, the facilitation of personal growth and community building is highlighted in the collected ancient wisdom on a collaborative Quest for Wisdom in order to:

  • to give a platform for the wisdom from different cultures and traditions
  • to enhance intercultural communication and interaction
  • to develop unifying transcultural practices by means of the artistic and narrative expressions

The Golden Ratio consists of a culturally diverse palette of materials that are grouped around particular themes; through play, proverbs, myths and animal stories. The QfWf has developed two series of (e)books: the Animal Wisdom Collection and the Wisdom Collection as well as contributions on a yearly programme on The Golden Ratio, thereby developing practices of World Citizenship.

The Golden Ratio in different forms:

Golden Ratio Playfulness — Board Games and Dialogue Tables

Golden Ratio Collections — (E) Books of Wisdom

Purchase of Educative Materials

One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of the products will be used in realising our upcoming QfWf educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.

Update 2026-08

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The Golden Ratio

Golden Ratio — Game for Wisdom — Animal Wisdom — Projects — Soul Circle

Platform for the QfWf yearly theme — Global Citizenship

QfWf-event on Global Citizenship

The QfWf has launched the digital platform De Gulden Snede in 2024 in order to present the development of the project “Global Citizenship of the streat”. The Quest for Wisdom’s yearly search for themes through different creative media and channels will be elaborating in a World Citizenship programme. In it, the QfWf wants to express cosmopolitan voices in the harsh debate around the multicultural society, answering the hardening migration policies with positive experiences of intercultural encounters. In words, images and by music, the central idea and value of inclusion is expressed and embodied in a ceramic sculpture: the Rainbow Bird of Paradise with the Cosmic Egg, as part of a exhibition. See the Quest for Wisdom-Brochure.

Quo vadis: Becoming who you are

Hey you, being on two feet, wandering around the world …
Dazedly dividing Mother Earth into mine and thine:
Is this commandment of possession mayby theft and the greatest venom
by which you have to prove with a document to be a human ‘citizen’
in order not to be treated as undocumented stranger and pariah?

Beyond the boundaries of the nation-state lies the cosmopolis:
there, all beings-with-a-heart-that-can-bleed are welcomed
and are asked for their names and stories, sitting around the fire
with connecting scents, transcultural spices and honey wine
in colourful company, where you as stranger and ‘other’ are welcomed.

World citizen where are you? As a fugitive from inner affairs
in danger of losing the most precious thing, that is covered by status and power
You split the world into friends and enemies, us and them, and your heart becomes hard –
yet you feel a nomadic yearning for paradise with melancholy and sorrow.

Angela Gilds’ Spoken Word in the Amsterdam Library Reigersbos

For the 2025-theme, “Practices of Global Citizenship“, artists, philosophers and professionals highlighted their practices and visions as global citizens through artistic expressions, stories, podcasts and videos. The launching of the Amor Fati programme at the Amsterdam Public Library Reigersbos with the Amor Mundi exhibition including the Welcoming Migrant Series, as well as the book presentation, resulted in Arts Dialogues around Amor Fati themes by means of music, spoken word and dancing to welcome people as World Citizens, as we all are human from heart to heart:

The indigenous Surinamese cultural group Wehpokamanong

“World citizenship is open communication between people without judgment. Dignity toward each other, knowing that no matter how different we are, we are in connection with each other and can share this feeling together. Getting to know each other, transferring knowledge and experience, recognizing and acknowledging each other’s qualities. Beautiful journey to undertake together.

Last year was a wonderful year with several workshops aimed at connecting with each other through the art of living. Yodeling, modeling, painting, word art, dance, singing. A rich experience that we will continue and pass on this year. Let your light shine. You are unique!”

The Golden Ratio 2026-theme around World Citizenship explores “Inter-Cultural Rituals” with visual and musical expressions, philosophical and professional perspectives. Please, see the contributions from the QfWf circles on our digital platform Multimedia – De Gulden Snede.

Update 2026-08

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