Nostos Salon

Nostos is an intimate afternoon salon series by Anthrōprospective at Smith Street Studio in Collingwood, inner Melbourne. Inspired by the ancient Greek concept of nostos [νόστος]—a longing to return home, this gathering invites us back: to community, to place, to self, and to one another. In a time of disconnection, Nostos is a return to slow, thoughtful conversation and community.

How do I get to Smith Street Studio?

The entrance to the studio is off Little Oxford St, Collingwood – via a small lane between 77 and 79 Little Oxford. Head up the end of the lane and you will find the studio on the far left directly next door to Studio Pancho.

Theme: The Anthropology of Ambiguity, Uncertainty, and Meaning-Making

Our Nostos gathering on Sunday, August 30 will explore the anthropology of ambiguity, uncertainty, and meaning-making, examining how people live, decide, and find equilibrium in a world that rarely offers clear answers. In an era marked by contested truths, competing belief systems, and growing anxiety about what counts as certain knowledge, this conversation invites us to reflect on ambiguity not as a problem to be solved, but as a condition we all move through, and sometimes a resource we can draw on.

Through the lens of anthropology we'll explore how communities navigate liminality, paradox, and uncertainty in their everyday lives, and how healing, belief, and ritual offer ways of holding what cannot be fully resolved. How do people act meaningfully when the ground beneath a decision is unstable? What can existential and sensory experience teach us about being, rather than only knowing? Whose knowledge is trusted to make sense of uncertain worlds, and whose is dismissed as too ambiguous to count? And how might grounded, culturally attuned research help us sit with complexity rather than rushing past it?

We are delighted to welcome Dr Mahnaz Alimardanian, social anthropologist and Senior Research Fellow at The Mabo Centre, University of Melbourne. Her research sits at the intersection of philosophical and psychological inquiry and ethnographic fieldwork, with a focus on existential and sensory experience, healing and belief systems, and the lived, everyday work of decision-making under uncertainty. She is co-editor of The Anthropology of Ambiguity, and her applied research spans culturally responsive, trauma-informed work across Indigenous land and cultural rights, restorative justice, and redress.

This afternoon salon invites participants into an open and engaging dialogue about how we live with, and even learn from, uncertainty. Together, we'll explore how anthropology and the social sciences can sharpen our understanding of ambiguity as a shared human condition, and how more reflective, embodied, and grounded approaches might help us find equilibrium in an uncertain world.

Whether you’re curious about anthropology, seeking connection with new friends or simply drawn to deep conversation, Nostos offers a place at the table. Come as you are - all are welcome.

The ticket price covers attendance at the salon discussion. Light refreshments will be available during the salon, and a small amount of wine may occasionally be offered as complimentary hospitality. Thank you to our event sponsors NOW and NON.

Please indicate your dietary requirements at booking. See below for frequently asked questions.