Art
Mandala Lab
In partnership with the London Design Festival and the Rubin Museum, we are delighted to be hosting the Mandala Lab at Union Square.
This interactive installation invites curiosity about our emotions with five thought-provoking experiences inspired by powerful Buddhist principles. The Lab is presented as part of the London Design Festival, September 16–24, but will be open to the public daily through to November 25—for free!
We are on the threshold of an existential climate crisis, navigating the aftermath of a debilitating pandemic, and confronting military aggression in Europe. Humanity is at a turning point. Whichever we may collectively turn, disruption and turmoil are likely to be commonplace in our experience of the world going forward. Emotions will run high. To help us traverse these turbulent times with greater clarity, the Rubin Museum has melded the Buddhist psychology of the Vairochana Mandala with artist-inspired experiences in the Mandala Lab to provide a scent-and-sound stimulated guide to our emotions.
What does the experience look like?
The visitor identifies a portal by which to enter choosing between PRIDE, ATTACHMENT, ANGER and ENVY. From there, different interactive journeys unfold such as unlocking scent memories, synchronized breath work, and even a gong room where visitors are encouraged to strike the gongs, creating a sound bath that fills the space.
Visitors will be invited to smell, see, touch, and listen as they sense, interpret, and process their own thoughts and emotions, using the Mandala Lab as a modality for healing.
Join us on opening night, Saturday 16 September, for a BREATHE-IN 6-7.30pm
Gather around the outside of the Lab, and at sundown (7.14pm) it will be illuminated from within, radiating out of the doorways and through the windows into the darkening evening, pulsating to mimic the rhythm of breathing. The assembled crowd is invited to match their breathing pattern to the rhythm of the light, culminating in a shared experience. Click here for more information.
Location of Union Square:
Union Square is located at the junction of Water Street and Charter Street, less than 5 minutes’ walk from Montgomery Square.
Head to Montgomery Square, cross the bridge and walk down Water Street passed Hawksmoor until you reach the junction with Charter Street.
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