Mandala Lab By Extudio Enorme Studio

The Mandala Lab is an interactive installation that invites curiosity about our emotions. Consider how complex feelings show up in your everyday life, and imagine that you might have the power to transform them. Inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Mandala Lab features five thought-provoking, playful experiences, including videos accompanied by scents, a sculpture that invites collective breathing, and curated percussion instruments dipped in water, guiding visitors on an inner journey focused on self-awareness and awareness of others. Sight, smell, touch and breath are all mobilised in the space, which is designed to inspire connection, empathy and learning. Contributing artists include Laurie Anderson, Sanford Biggers, Tenzin Tsetan Choklay, Billy Cobham, Amit Dutta, Sheila E, Peter Gabriel, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sarah Hennies, Huang Ruo, Shivamani, Wang Yahui, Palden Weinreb, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Bora Yoon. Scents were created by Christophe Laudamiel, and selected gongs were manufactured by Ryan Shelledy or Matt Nolan in the UK. Mandalas are Buddhist teaching tools that can be used to learn how to confront and transform feelings of pride, attachment, envy, anger and ignorance. Known as kleshas in Buddhism, these five afflictive emotions cloud our understanding of the world. Through deep, sustained investigation of these emotions, some Buddhist practitioners cultivate corresponding wisdoms and skills that help them shift their view of the world, themselves and others. Each activity on the floor is designed to help visitors examine a specific emotional state. The Bilbao edition, located in Dona Casilda Park, was open to the public for free between 1 and 17 June 2022. The project is a museum education installation that treats emotion itself as the exhibit, using multi-sensory design to teach emotional literacy.