Prayer Wheel is an interactive audiovisual installation designed for an indoor space. The work draws inspiration from Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels, which accumulate spiritual merit through the continuous rotation of engraved sutras. Instead of text, this installation accumulates merit through sound.
At the center of the space, visitors are invited to record 10 seconds of sound. Each recorded sound becomes a rotating sonic trace that orbits the exhibition space. These traces are visualized as calligraphic waveforms engraved onto a projected metallic prayer wheel surface surrounding the audience.
Up to twelve sounds can coexist in the space. Each sound loops continuously and gradually undergoes spectral purification: one frequency is slowly emphasized while the others fade away. Over time, complex sounds transform into pure tones. The twelve resulting frequencies collectively reconstruct a spectral field based on spectral analyses of recordings of Buddhist ritual sounds. This process sonifies the idea of merit accumulation.
The projected prayer wheel surface reacts to the sonic environment and rotates continuously. Each recorded sound occupies a spatial position and orbits the room, creating a constantly evolving spatial composition. As new sounds are added, older ones are replaced, allowing the installation to continually renew itself through audience participation.
Reception Performers:
Sofí Belén Jáquez, Alisha Torrealba Erao, Talulah Howard, Woody Mo, William Rinkoff
Woody Mo is a composer and interdisciplinary artist whose practice integrates composition, improvisation, screen scoring, interactive media, and audiovisual art. His work explores reinterpretations of traditional philosophy and folklore through contemporary media and performance practices. His sound practices focus on reconstructing acoustics through additive and subtractive processes, including amplification and filtering, which extend into multimedia practices centered on feedback systems and media conversion. His work has been presented in music festivals, including Experiments in Electronic Sound Festival and Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival. Mo is currently an artist-in-residence at The Reef in Downtown Los Angeles. Mo received his MFA from California Institute of the Arts.
Instagram: moyou_woody
