It’s not every day we get a snippet of a museum from the Big Apple here in London, but the Rubin Museum is delivering a slice of New York in Canary Wharf throughout this month.
Over at Union Square until November 25, passers-by will notice a striking circular installation juxtaposed by a triangle-shaped doorway. A gander inside will present you with the travelling Mandala Lab — and you’ll be presented with an interactive pop-up inspired by Tibetan Buddhist teachings to help unreal negative feelings.
There are plenty of ways to confront difficult emotions, and the Mandala Lab has five rooms of thought-provoking and fun experiences, such as hitting a gong to deal with anger and find out why you feel a certain way. Each emotion explored in the multi-sensory experience—which incorporates sights, smells, things to feel, and ways of breathing—is one that many of us find challenging and could all benefit in learning how to deal with, or at least understand.
Across each room, visitors will be able to delve into the feelings of pride, attachment, envy, anger, and ignorance. As mentioned, the entire exhibition is inspired by Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and encapsulates the work of the Rubin Museum in New York City, which uses art to connect visitors to the Himalayan region in a way that can be related to all of our lives.
Jorrit Britschgi, Executive Director of the Rubin Museum of Art, said: “We are excited to participate in the London Design Festival and demonstrate how Buddhist principles can merge with design practices to inspire meaningful experiences.
“The travelling version of our Mandala Lab is an important demonstration of the Rubin’s mission to bring awareness and understanding of Himalayan art to global audiences.”
The Mandala Lab is here until the end of November, and it’s completely free to visit – head down now for a tour of the senses and a cleansing of the mind. Find out more about it here.