Healing Garden
“Art creates a profound connection between the artist and the audience. Through that connection, both can heal.”
The ‘Healing Garden’ (2023-ongoing) is a metaphorical and digital sacred space created to facilitate personal healing and transformation through visual symbols. The project is inspired by shamanic healing practices, sacred spaces, as well as the artist's personal practice of using archetypal imagery to release limiting beliefs and reclaim personal power.
Participants interact with the artwork through a meditative journey contained within the virtual space, in which they encode their desires for positive transformation into a personal symbol. A verbal description of the symbol chosen by the participant is submitted to the artist, who channels the visual manifestation of the object using generative AI. Finally, the object is digitally sculpted in 3D and planted into the immersive Garden for future visitors to interact with.
At its core, the ‘Healing Garden’ explores the potential for community-activated sacred spaces in the digital realm to foster positive change through the creative imagination aided by technology. Can technology be used to foster a greater connection to ourselves, to each other, and to nature? How do we come together - across borders, cultures - to heal ourselves and our planet?
Currently, there are two ways to interact with the project:
Digitally: You can access the current version of the artwork through the button below. Contained in the digital garden is a recording of the object creation meditation and a submission link for participants to send their objects.
‘Healing Garden’ (Digital)
Desktop/PC is recommended with the sound on.
Click on objects to see their symbolism
On-site: The on-site iteration of the project (2022-ongoing) introduces an alternative mode of interaction. Here, the artist guides the participant personally through the short object creation meditation. The image of the object is channeled with AI and printed using a portable printer, resulting in a tangible photo keepsake for the participant. These objects can later be “uploaded” to the digital Garden.
‘Healing Garden’ (On-Site)
Prose by Ben Bernthal of the strangerspoems project summarizing the concept of the “Healing Garden”
Healing Objects
Each Healing Object is unique, and may represent aspects of memory, personal identity, along with the hopes and wishes of the participant. Placed in the space and context of the “Healing Garden”, these objects take on a deeper meaning, allowing participants to reframe, reclaim, and re-envision their stories.
Examples of healing objects, along with their symbolism:
The ‘Healing Garden’ leverages generative AI as a tool for creative imagination and positive transformation. The following images are visuals produced by generative AI based on the verbal descriptions of the objects submitted by participants:
“A really shiny star”
“A dolphin”
“A loaf of bread split in half”