An excerpt from the ever-increasingly-iconic Erik Davis’ 2006 essay on emergent cultic activity at Black Rock City: Thus it is with some trepidation that I turn to one of the more vexing questions that one might ask about Burning Man: can or should we speak of the event as a sacred gathering? Even if we … Read more“Beyond Belief: The Cults of Burning Man”
CHAPEL by [M] Dudeck/RELIGIONVIRUS September 7-9/2023 at Graffiti Gallery was a three day durational performance. [M] Dudeck, PhD, (born in Winnipeg, 1984) is an artist and cultural engineer who invents their own queer religion as art. Their project, called RELIGIONVIRUS, has been performed, exhibited, screened and published in over thirty countries worldwide. Their work as … Read moreCHAPEL by [M] Dudeck
On the afternoon of September 17th, nine participants gathered in the Morbid Anatomy Library in Brooklyn, NYC to undertake an experiment in ritual space and time, guided by artists Bridget Carey, Tony Wolf and Virgil Wong. The main gates of Green-Wood Cemetery, just a few minutes’ walk from the Morbid Anatomy Library. Note the large … Read moreVR Near-Death Simulation and Memento Mori Rituals (New York City, September 2023)
Part Hogwarts LARP, part Bohemian Grove for a diverse collective of experience design professionals, the College of Extraordinary Experiences is also an excellent model for ritual artists keen to meet and mingle.
Much more on Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir here.
Located in Wappinger, New York, CoSM is: (…) a place of contemplation & worship for community honoring the practice of art as a spiritual path. CoSM’s site and structure provides a living model of the ideals expressed through the inspiring artwork of the collection and exhibitions, the writings of the founders and invited contributors. CoSM … Read moreThe Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
VICE’s Fernando Perez has long been fascinated by Shugendo: an ancient Japanese spiritual practice centered on finding enlightenment through nature. The monks who follow it are known to wander through the forests of Japan for months on end, meditate under freezing waterfalls, and stand on the edge of towering cliffs—all in an effort to bring … Read more“Searching for a natural high in the mountains of Japan”
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, The Sisters Academy is: (…) a school in a world and society where the sensuous and poetic mode of being is at the center of all action and interaction. It defines the primary mode of being and is the values on which all societal institutions are building – including the school. … Read moreThe Sisters Academy
The First Church of David Bowie, Phonomancer is definitely either a metamodern religion disguised as a shamanic role-playing game or a shamanic role-playing game disguised as a metamodern religion: The Discotheque at the End of the Universe! is part of a live-action role-playing game called Phonomancer™ . You can play Phonomancer™ alone, or with up … Read moreThe First Church of David Bowie, Phonomancer
The Center for Tactical Magic conjures a radical reinvention of the “witches’ cradle” as an immersive ritual experience.