Stylist Rebecca Petersen takes us on an artist retreat set in the timeless landscape of Ostuni, Italy, exploring a new kind of creative luxury that balances solitude and community connection.
I arrive in Ostuni, Italy, without a clear expectation of what I will leave with. The road to Casolare Treggi stretches through ancient olive groves, the landscape sun-bleached and still. The villa emerges without warning, built from local stone, grounded in its surroundings. No spectacle. No excess. This is the first edition of the Home of HAIKU Artist Retreat, an intimate gathering of creatives from around the world. Photographers, writers, designers, filmmakers, poets, actors, and such, each carrying their own language and their own rhythm. The retreat unfolds like its namesake poetic form: minimal, intentional, and quietly transformative.
There is no pressure to perform here. No expectation beyond what you place on yourself. And that freedom becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
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An Arrival
Day One. An early alarm and a quiet sense of excitement.
Different cities, different countries.
Everyone begins their journey from somewhere else, carrying fragments of their everyday lives. Rooms are shared, bags unpacked slowly, and each space welcomes us with gift bags carefully curated. No structured beginning. Just space to land.
A gentle walk through the old town of Ostuni. Whitewashed walls, crisp spring air, charming side streets, and glimpses of local life unfold around you. By evening, everyone gathers for a quiet meditation. No need for introductions yet. Just breathe. And the subtle awareness of being exactly where you’re meant to be.
An Opening
Day Two. The rhythm begins.
Morning yoga becomes a daily ritual of breath, movement, and stillness, guided by Helena Quist. It’s less about the practice itself, more about arriving fully in your body before the day unfolds.
Breakfast follows. Lunch. Dinner.
Meals are prepared by Chef Mateusz Szota. They’re Italian-inspired dishes, rooted in local ingredients sourced from nearby markets, feeling like an extension of the landscape itself.
Between these moments: creative hours. Time that belongs entirely to you. Some write. Some shoot. Some rest. There is no right way to use it.
Later in the day, an intention-setting workshop guided by Daniel Aneto asks the group to reflect, align, and articulate what they hope to explore during the retreat. It’s gentle, open-ended, and deeply personal-an invitation to ground creative impulses in conscious purpose.
By evening, the quiet momentum of the day lingers, ready to unfold further tomorrow.
An Immersion
Day Three. The schedule loosens.
Yoga shifts to the afternoon, practiced under the open sky while the sun is still high. Time feels less fragmented now, flowing between the hours.
Earlier in the day, a strategy workshop focused not on output, but on reflection and direction. Past projects are revisited. Future ideas are spoken into existence.
The creative hours stretch longer. Conversations deepen. And in the evening, creations are shared. Filmmakers screen their short films. A poet reads aloud, each word floating softly in the air. An architect unveils their sketches, lines, and visions. All laid bare. It’s intimate and unfiltered, captured in a poem by Soha Michlawi:
“Where creative hearts meet
– Soha Michlawi
in the whitewashed house in Southern Italy
Dinner conversations
Inviting people to open up
A place where the soul finds its sparks
a seed planted for us to grow
In the tuffs and stones
once strangers
now sharing laughs and stories
about past lives
the present
and everything to come.”
An Expansion
Day Four. There’s a quiet confidence in the group
Work flows freely. People move without needing to explain themselves.
In the afternoon, a new guest arrives. Greta Grace guides a psychedelic breathwork session. No substances, just breath. Something shifts. The body opens. The mind softens. A different kind of awareness emerges. It feels both grounding and expansive.
Later, dinner stretches long into the evening. We end the night together, sharing drinks and savoring the last hours of this shared space.
A Departure
Day Five. You don’t leave with a finished product. You leave with something less tangible, but more lasting. Clarity. Space. Stillness. A quieter connection to your own rhythm and the start of meaningful connections with other people.
This article was originally published in our June 2026 issue.
Photography by Denis Lissak and Helena Quist
Frequently Asked Questions
The Home of HAIKU Artist Retreat is a multi-day creative residency in Ostuni, Italy, bringing together artists from different disciplines—including writers, photographers, filmmakers, designers, poets, and actors—for a program centered on creativity, mindfulness, and meaningful connection.
The retreat takes place at Casolare Treggi, a restored countryside villa in Ostuni, Italy. Surrounded by ancient olive groves and the region’s iconic whitewashed landscapes, the setting is designed to encourage focus, rest, and creative exploration.
The retreat is designed for creatives across a range of disciplines, from established professionals to emerging artists. Participants include writers, visual artists, filmmakers, designers, musicians, performers, and anyone looking to reconnect with their creative practice in a collaborative environment.
The retreat combines daily yoga, meditation, creative work sessions, intention-setting workshops, strategy discussions, shared meals, artist presentations, and wellness experiences such as breathwork. Participants are also given unstructured time to create, reflect, and connect with fellow artists.
Rather than focusing on productivity or delivering a finished project, the Home of HAIKU Artist Retreat emphasizes intentional living, creative freedom, and community. The experience encourages participants to slow down, explore new ideas, and cultivate lasting creative relationships in a peaceful Italian setting.
