Ashrama
A place of refuge for reflection and contemplation guided by an immersive soundscape
Art Installation
Scenic Designer • Sculptuor • Fabricator
This immersive installation explores the many ways we seek and find refuge in our lives. Ashrama combines and connects various artistic disciplines through the creation of a new environment, a place of refuge. This environment invites the audience to interact with ideas of shelter, home, spiritual relief, and escape while being surrounded by an immersive soundscape that gathers sounds, voices, and music from various artists.
Handicrafts and traditional art practices with spiritual significance served as the primary source of inspiration for the tapestry hanging from the ceiling. Geometric shapes create a dome that emulates the protection and shelter that a refuge provides. These gestures communicate to the audience the intention of the space without alluding to any specific culture as it seeks to synthesize the elements that make up refuge in a way that is universal and familiar to the audience regardless of their background. References are mainly from the "Barriletes gigantes" from Guatemala and the "Tzicuri" from the Wixárika community in Mexico.
Credits Aashray Harishankar • Nehemiah Stark • Gavati Wad • Livya Howard-Yashar • Teresa Piecuch • Charlie Jacobs • Manasa Hunsur Manjuna • Alejandro Melendez • Irene Gil Ramon • Robert Kelley • Katelyn Maheia • Malvica Chopra • Kathi Schulz