Sonic Bath (2024) continuous performance

Sonic Bath: A Naked Journey into Spiritual Cleansing by Philemon Mukarno

Exploring Spirituality in “Sonic Bath”

At the heart of performance art lies a search for authenticity, vulnerability, and transformation. Philemon Mukarno’s “Sonic Bath,” created during his residency at Live Art Ireland in July 2024, unfolds as a profound spiritual experience. This naked performance, presented at the historic Milfort House and curated by Deej Fabyc, unites body, sound, and light in a ritual of purification. The event took place as part of the La Pocha Nostra & VestAndPage Alumni Summit, bringing together artists exploring the sacred through the body.

The Concept of Sonic Bath

In “Sonic Bath,” Mukarno transforms his body into an instrument of spiritual resonance. Standing naked before the altar of Milfort House, he channels an ancient energy through overtone singing. The voice, stripped of ego and ornament, becomes a sacred frequency. This raw physicality and sonic presence invite the audience to witness the act of inner cleansing. The performance becomes both baptism and meditation, merging ritual devotion with avant-garde expression.

The title itself — “Sonic Bath” — evokes immersion. It suggests more than listening; it invites a sensory and spiritual submersion. Every tone swells and ripples through the space as though the air itself becomes liquid light. The human body, through sound and light, reclaims its place as a vessel of divine vibration.

The Power of Overtone Singing

Mukarno’s overtone singing opens the performance. His guttural harmonics reverberate across the altar, shaping invisible architecture within the room. Through continuous breath and resonance, he cultivates a trance-like state, allowing his consciousness to ascend. Each vibration appears to dissolve the barrier between performer and spirit.

Listeners describe the sound as a living energy that fills the space, touching their skin like unseen waves. This continuous flow mirrors Tibetan and Mongolian throat singing traditions, yet its meaning in “Sonic Bath” is deeply personal. It is not a borrowed ritual but a direct invocation. Through this technique, Mukarno’s voice becomes both offering and guide toward transcendence.

Cleansing with Red Light

As the singing transitions, red light spreads across his body, transforming the atmosphere into a temple of warmth. The vibrant hue symbolizes purification, sacrifice, and rebirth. In this vivid glow, his naked form becomes a visual prayer — an emblem of surrender to divine forces.

The action of bathing in red light elevates the performance beyond sound alone. Light touches skin like a physical manifestation of spirit, suggesting that purification happens through both body and perception. Here, the performer is neither actor nor exhibitionist; he is a conduit through which energy flows freely. The red illumination marks a threshold — a movement from earthly weight toward liberated transcendence.

A Moment of Gratitude

At the culmination, Mukarno sits in silence, hands folded in prayer. His voice softens, replaced by stillness. He gives thanks for the natural world — the green fields beyond Milfort House, the vast Irish skies, and the drifting clouds. This act introduces humility into the work’s intensity, reminding viewers that spirituality is not reached through spectacle but through recognition.

Gratitude forms the quiet core of “Sonic Bath.” It acknowledges both the fragility and power of existence. The performer, now cleansed through sound and light, reenters the cycle of being with renewed awareness.

#### The Journey Toward Enlightenment

“Sonic Bath” is not confined to a single moment; it unfolds as an ongoing meditation. Every breath, tone, and gesture suggests continuity — the endless cycle of purification and renewal. Mukarno’s performance art often blurs the line between ritual and everyday life. Here, his nakedness becomes a declaration of truth: the spirit cannot ascend while burdened by concealment.

By exposing the body, Mukarno invites others to confront their own vulnerability. His performance transforms discomfort into awakening, challenge into reflection. The work encourages audiences to seek not only to observe but to feel — to listen inwardly and rediscover their personal connection with the divine.

Experience and Impact

Viewers describe “Sonic Bath” as an intense yet peaceful encounter. The combination of overtone singing and red light creates an atmosphere of reverence rather than voyeurism. Instead of provoking shock, Mukarno’s nudity reveals dignity. The body becomes a neutral space where spirit and matter meet.

In a time where art often competes with noise and speed, “Sonic Bath” offers slowness, presence, and sincerity. Mukarno’s naked performance reframes the idea of ritual for contemporary audiences. It invites them to see cleansing — not as religion, but as renewal of being.

Philemon Mukarno’s “Sonic Bath”

stands as a luminous exploration of spirituality through the human body. Presented in the sacred stillness of Milfort House, this naked performance merges overtone singing, red light, and prayer into a single act of transformation. It challenges audiences to look beyond the physical and embrace the subtle vibrations of consciousness.

In its calm intensity, “Sonic Bath” reminds us that art can still be sacred — that the body, when stripped of disguise, can echo divinity. Mukarno’s work continues to shape the evolving language of performance art, offering an unforgettable immersion into sound, spirit, and light.