ABOUT THE PROJECT
Temple of Singularity is a multifaith sacred space by Bangkok-based artist Henry Tan. The project expands on Tan’s kinetic sculpture Pillars of Creation, which depicted the Hindu god Brahma holding democratized tools of biotechnology and biotherapeutics.
Temple centers on the concept of the "singularity," a threshold in astrophysics and artificial intelligence past which established paradigms no longer apply. Combining technical prototypes, architectural design, and public ceremonies, the project considers how spiritual practices adapt alongside emerging technology, probing what it means to worship or make offerings in an automated world.
Above: 1) Henry Tan, Temple of Singularity, sketch of multi-faith temple prayer circle. 2) Pillars of Creation selected spread, Emergence catalog collection. Image credit: Josh Schaedel. 3) Henry Tan, Temple of Singularity, sketch of Quantum Organic Resonance architecture. | At top of page: Henry Tan, Temple of Singularity, sketch of turbine prayer wheel. Thumbnail: Henry Tan, Temple of Singularity, sketch of multi-faith temple architectural render.
ARTIST BIO
Henry Tan is an artistic director of FREAK Lab Thailand and a member of metaPhorest Japan. Tan investigates how emergent technologies like synthetic biology, brain stimulation, and artificial intelligence blur the line between life and simulation. His installations and performances contemplate how technology shifts and reshapes our society, ecology, and belief systems. In 2024, Tan was an artist in residence at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology.
ACTIONS / UPDATES
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