Focus on the topic
At the heart of contemporary psychoanalytic reflection, the imaginary dialogue between Donald W. Winnicott and Wilfred R. Bion continues to represent an inexhaustible source of inspiration and transformation.
The conference “Winnicott and Bion. The Birth of the Mind”, which will be held in Milan from 12 to 14 September 2025, intends to offer a lively opportunity for meeting, exchange and shared thought to deepen the work of these two great authors and their clinical and theoretical legacy.
We do not want to limit ourselves to retracing the main elements of the theories of two of the most influential psychoanalysts of the twentieth century, often considered the promoters of a real paradigm shift in the history of psychoanalysis, what many have defined as the emergence of ontological psychoanalysis. The main aim of the conference is to generate a space of tension, comparison and dialogue between the two theories, in which new thoughts can be born.
We propose to explore the intersection between the conceptual worlds of Winnicott and Bion as a threshold to cross. Not a point of arrival, but a lively, open and transformative field of work. We think it could be an opportunity for all participants to experience, in theoretical reflection, in clinical practice and in sharing, that process of birth of the mind that both authors were so profoundly able to think.
The program is divided into three parts: a first historical-theoretical and introductory section, dedicated to the genesis of Winnicott and Bion’s thought and their mutual influences; a second part focused on the contemporary developments of their theories and on some possible integrations; and finally a third clinical section, in which thought can be measured against practice and its challenges, giving space to the sharing and discussion of clinical material.
