Case Description
The Breathing Pavilion, designed by artist Ekene Iljeoma, is a circle consisting of illuminated inflatable columns. The brightness of these column changes in a pulsing rhythm, inviting visitors to synchronize their breath. Located on a square of Brooklyn’s Cultural District, New York, the artistic installation invites people to “attune themselves to a shared rhythm of respite.” The installation is “a response to years of political turmoil, the coronavirus pandemic and systematic racism.” It suggested a “paradigm shift towards communion and meditative stillness.”
Relation to Resilience
The installation’s aim to contribute to a sense of communion and finding a shared rhythm among people, means people are connected that otherwise would be anonymous passersby. The aim to achieve stillness through breathing, also means people were given an opportunity to reflect and dwell on their state of mind in these troubled times.