What happens when Buddhism is reinterpreted through the eyes of millennials? Bodhi Theater is the answer. A group of creative individuals have joined forces to turn traditional chanting, which can be unrelatable to some millennials, into something everyone can enjoy and understand through the use of advanced projector mapping technology.
“Everyone is constantly asking why people don’t go to temples nowadays. And I think that’s because humans always develop and change, but temples have stayed the same,” says Thawatchai “Au” Saengthamchai, the project manager. “So we feel like there is no connection between the temples and us. That’s why we don’t go. Because of this, I want to change the way Buddhism is seen. I want to strip away the out-of-date surface but keep the core of the religion that holds the universal truth. Time can’t change the wisdom behind them.”
Bodhi Theater tells the story of the “Jayamangala Gatha,” the Buddhist chant about the triumph of Buddha against eight adversities (ignorance, madness, rage, indulgence, accusation, deception, menace and pride). The exhibition, which uses visual projection technology to create spatial augmented reality, has transformed the sacred vihara of Wat Suthi Wararam into an immersive art experience, allowing visitors a better understanding of Buddhism but in a more modern way. There are no chanting; instead, you will see lights and moving pictures, and hear sound effects.
The project is made possible by WHY_NOT Social Enterprise, Awakening Creative, Another day Another render, Art of Hongtae, Korky, WHAT_IF and, most importantly, Wat Suthi Wararam. The abbot, a forward-thinking and open-minded individual, readily agreed to the project because he too wanted to promote Buddhism in a more interesting way. He has also put up paintings all around the vihara—as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
It took a year to complete the entire project, which involved creating the 3D images on the computer in addition to sound design. The visuals and sounds are the main elements of Bodhi Theater, and they have to be perfectly coordinated. Each part is less than two minutes and there are eight parts of the “Jayamangala Gatha." The crew has designed characters to represent each adversity. You will also see colors representing moods combined with sounds that indicate the tones of the stories. This collaboration between two worlds—art and Buddhism— could be a fresh start of what religion can become if we use more imagination.
