I Want More!

I Want More!

Unveiling the Wonders of the Dopamine System through Art & Neuroscience

Why do we want what we want? And what happens when wanting itself becomes hunger?

Understanding what it means to be human is my endless puzzle.

We are wonderful animals with bodies that have been shaped by an immense history of survival. We need water, food, shelter, safety, companionship. Our nervous systems have evolved to notice what matters, to pursue what we lack, and to learn from what happens when we act. Dopamine is crucial role in all of this.

It is not simply the chemical of pleasure, as it is sometimes described. It is involved in motivation, anticipation, learning, prediction and the effort to move towards something that matters to us. It helps make the world appear full of possibilities: there is something over there; go and find it.

For most of human history, the things we had to pursue were relatively concrete. Water. Food. A safe place. A mate. Belonging. But we, human beings, have become remarkably good at creating new things to pursue: Money. Status. Recognition. Power. Beauty. Productivity. Followers. The next achievement. The next purchase. The next notification.

There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting these things. Desire is not an enemy. Ambition is not a pathology. Wanting more has helped us create, discover, invent, love and transform the world. The trouble begins when the mechanism itself becomes difficult to satisfy.

We can keep pursuing long after the original need has disappeared. We can become caught in loops of anticipation and reward, endlessly reaching for something that promises to make us feel complete but never quite does. In some Buddhist traditions, the image of the hungry ghost describes precisely this condition: a being with an enormous appetite and a mouth too small to ever be satisfied. I find this image unsettling because it is also recognisable. We can become hungry ghosts.

And when we do, our ways of coping with that hunger can create suffering, not only for ourselves, but for the people who live with us and care for us.

I created I Want More! because I believe that understanding can be a form of care. To understand something is not necessarily to control it or cure it. Sometimes understanding simply gives us another way of seeing what is happening. It allows us to notice the mechanisms beneath an experience that previously felt mysterious, shameful, or purely personal.

Photo documentation of I Want More! for the BSW 2025.

What happens in the brain when we desire?
Why do some things become difficult to stop pursuing?
What does dopamine have to do with love, addiction, ambition, power and creativity?
And if wanting is part of what makes us human, could understanding our wanting help us become more capable of caring for ourselves, for one another, and for the world we are collectively making?

I Want More! brings neuroscience into conversation with art, philosophy and embodied experience to become a little more aware of how wanting works. Scientific knowledge goes beyond something to be passively received, instead, the program asks us to encounter it through the body, through making, through conversation and through curiosity.

This program is part of Way of Care, my broader artistic and educational practice exploring how knowledge can become a form of care. Because sometimes care begins with something very simple: Sensing attentively what is happening now:here.

Photo documentation of I Want More! Re:publica26.

Our Invitation

Meet us at

BERLIN SCIENCE WEEK 2026

November 8th, 2026
12:00h-14:00h

Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Berlin
Festival Centre workshop in the Maria Katrina Stenberg Room.

Click here for more information & spot reservation →

This year I Want More! warmly welcomes:

Dr. Prateep Beed

Dr. Prateep Beed holds a master’s degree in cognitive psychology from the Max Planck Institute, Tübingen and a PhD in neurosciences from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In addition to over 15 years of experience in scientific research, he has led workshops on mental health, curated immersive spaces, and designed transformative events that integrate neuroinclusion and mindfulness. His interdisciplinary approach bridges science, well-being, and personal growth, creating experiences that are both intellectually rigorous and deeply human.
Beyond academia, Dr. Beed is a passionate science communicator dedicated to making complex scientific concepts accessible, relatable, and engaging for diverse audiences. He has developed innovative formats that foster direct dialogue between scientists and the wider community, addressing socially relevant and timely topics. Through these conversations, he seeks to build a more informed, conscious, and empowered society.

Arturo Bautista. Circus Artist & Dancer

Professional circus artist and dancer, has participated with Oper Basel, Ballet National Company (Mexico City), Dinner Shows in Berlin, Theater Street Festival in Germany and Austria, Theater Kinder Zirkus in German speaking countries and organization for performance and concepts in floating University, Music Festivals and Sisyphos.
Arturo is focused to involve the audience in short stories and discover the possibilities of his body with acrobatic, dance and handstand. The performance narrative is based on situations and problems in the society and people, showing how disconnected we can be from our surroundings and the manipulation of technology, keeping us trapped in a vicious cycle.

Past editions

I Want More! has warmly contributed to:

Both sessions warmly welcomed as guest Neuroscientist:

Prof. Dr. med. Wolf-Julian Neumann.

Prof. Dr. med. Wolf-Julian Neumann is a medical doctor and professor specializing in invasive neurotechnology and neuromodulation, with over 15 years of experience in the field. His research focuses on developing closed-loop neurostimulation approaches powered by machine learning–based brain signal decoding.

Prof. Neumann has been awarded more than €6 million in competitive research funding from leading international institutions, including the European Research Council (ERC), the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the UK Wellcome Trust, the German Ministry for Health and Education (BMBF), and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Get Involved!

Open to collaboration & partnership

I Want More! is actively seeking:

  • Institutional partners : venues, universities, cultural organizations, and science institutions interested in co-presenting or co-developing the program
  • Sponsors: organizations aligned with education, well-being, neuroscience, or the arts who wish to support the program’s growth
  • Collaborators — scientists, artists, philosophers, and educators who want to contribute their expertise to a living, evolving series

If this resonates with your work and vision, I would love to hear from you!
contact@eliana-araque.com