/ radical design thinking
Temple of Planetary Enlightenment
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”
– Lao Tzu
Responding to the call for Radical Design Thinking, issued in 2020 by Chatham House & London Design Biennale, our proposal seeks to provoke a deeper level of reflection and call to action that is required for humans to fully embrace change at the most profound level, by embodying the real and imminent crisis of environmental destruction. While we respect the post-Covid reality and the changes that are being implemented across various aspects of life, including society, business and global relations, we feel an even more radical intervention is necessary to meet the challenge of this call for design proposals. Through “multi-sensorial shock therapy” we attempt to induce a series of emotional responses that will provoke the audience at every level of their consciousness. We hope such an experience will stimulate a reaction that can truly drive a mindset shift towards unity, harmony and sustainability with our planetary ecosystems and flows. The consensus is that the state of crisis of our planet is a direct result of human activity. Through the technological and socio-economic progress of the past centuries, we have progressively separated ourselves from the Nature. Humanities’ only hope is to reconnect with the Nature in search of both inner (spiritual) and outer (physical) harmony with the universe. Recent developments in computer science and artificial intelligence are allowing us to accelerate the pace of convergence between man, machine and nature. This socio-bio-technical planetary transformation might just be the solution we need…
Design by
Iliyan Stoilov
Submited by
Christopher Kirwan
Iliyan Stoilov
Stefan Dobrev
/ symbolism
The cube is a symbol of permanence, stability, the body and earth element. It is viewed equally from any perspective, representing geometric perfection and eternal truth. Esoterically, the cube symbolizes the reformed and enlightened soul, living in a state of permanence.
The three steps leading inside the cube are representative of the three stages of consciousness described by Freud - Conscious, Preconscious and Subconscious. Through powerful symbolism, (sounds, imagery and physical form), our aim is to impact all three, the audience is transformed and brought closer to enlightenment.
The proportions of the cube aim to follow the golden ratio, derived from Fibonacci’s sequence. Nature relies on this ratio to maintain balance. We incorporate this ratio into the design of the cube to induce an attraction to the physical object, through a subconscious urge to seek harmony, stability, and knowledge.
The reflection symmetry found inside and outside the cube (through glass and mirrors) is a symbol of humankind’s quest to find answers, but enlightenment is only reached when one looks inside. These reflections are found at the four corners, ceiling and floor of the cube. Light will allow us to switch between transparent glass and mirror effects, further enhancing the emotional experience. We want the audience to have the ability to see their own reflection as part of the stages of consciousness and the environment.
/ experience
Once inside the cube, the audience will become part of an interactive performance relying on surround experiential media that transforms the audience’s emotional state in the process of obtaining enlightenment. We support the idea of enlightenment on an individual and collective scale as the only way to drive radical change. The content of the experience will be presented and delivered in 3 stages of transformation:
Stage 1 Disorientation [Unconscious level]
Dark theme and emotions, sense of chaos, entirely black box with very dim light, enough to see and feel the darkness and noise.
Stage 2 Flow [Preconscious level]
Presenting the planet in the form of human and natural flows representing life, connectivity and exchange through data visualization, holographic imagery and various sound frequencies.
Stage 3 Balance [Conscious level]
In the last stage, light and reflections are gradually introduced through the four corners of the space, allowing the audience to feel a sense of unification with themselves and the physical surrounding representing earth’s ecosystem.
Through these three stages, we aim to set the audience on a path towards Enlightenment through the convergence of their personal emotions and collective experiences, manifested through the physical and digital dimensions of this installation.
/ structure
Through the convergence of digital media, physical form & space and human interaction, we attempt to create a transformative experience in which the audience can reconnect with our planetary ecosystems. We are proposing a modern version of the temple with its roots in scientific thought, technological progress, timeless divine proportions, and interactive multimedia content. The fluidity of the digital screens and projections covering the walls will dematerialize the physical space inside and immerse the audience in the interplay of light, sound and space.