SUMERU AND THE MUSTARD SEED
An Autonomous Audiovisual Installation
Ruocha Wang | Installation Design
WANG Ziyu | Sound Design
Concept
Sumeru and the Mustard Seed
The installation is inspired by ancient East Asian philosophies and early mythological traditions. It draws on the principle of 须弥芥子, the mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru, and the concept of eternal recurrence. One grain contains a world, and one pulse reflects an eternal cycle. The work expresses the absence of boundaries between large and small and the interconnectedness of all things beyond time.
The Self-Contained System
The piece functions as a self-sufficient microcosm, following its own internal rhythm independent of observers. Light and sound move through phases of flowing activity and quiet return.
The music acts as a temporal pulse, guiding subtle rhythms within the microcosm. It operates without preference or judgment, and its continuous cycles embody a state of peaceful equilibrium.
In a time of uncertainty, it may offer a quiet moment, a small presence undisturbed by external demands and anchored within itself.
System
Yinyun 氤氲 EnvelopingMists
Xirang 息壤 EvergrowingEarth
Xunmu 寻木 InfiniteStem
Zhulong 烛龙 SolarLoong
Pangu 盘古 PrimordialOrigin
Fusang 扶桑 CelestialTree
Kunpeng 鲲鹏 Metamorphosis
Kunlun 昆仑 JadeMountain
Yinglong 应龙 FrostLoong
Xuanming 玄冥 AbyssalStillness
Guixu 归墟 BottomlessVoid
Material
Blue-and-white Porcelain
The ensemble is handcrafted from traditional blue-and-white porcelain. Each piece emerges through high-temperature alchemy, where mineral cobalt, white clay, and gloss glaze fuse together. This medium was chosen for both its historical lineage and its material resilience. The delicate, organic forms create a physical landscape in which the system’s autonomous cycles unfold.
One grain, one world; one pulse, one eternal recurrence. 一尘一世界，一律一轮回。