Bella Gaia: An Experience by Kenji Williams

Bella Gaia is the latest multimedia project from Kenji Williams, an artist that continues to impress me with the scope of his creative vision. I first saw Kenji perform alongside Medicine Drum and Irina Mikhailova in 2001 when they opened for Juno Reactor in Toronto. A few years later I fell for Kenji’s excellent album Faces Of Epiphany and I’ve been following his work ever since.

As much as I enjoy a good CD, nothing I had previously experienced prepared me for Kenji’s next project: Worldspirit. Released on DVD, Worldspirit is an astounding multimedia collaboration with the world-famous artist Alex Grey. Incorporating theatre, spoken word, visual art, and live music, it is a complete conceptual package. During the performance there is a visualization exercise in which attendees (and, by extension, viewers) are invited to imagine the vast web of interconnections girdling a little world cupped in their hands.

Bella Gaia sounds as if it expands on the spiritual presentation of Worldspirit with a more scientific–yet no less emotional–appeal. Using high-definition visuals provided by NASA, Kenji seeks to recreate the powerful experience of viewing the Earth from space. As stated on the Bella Gaia homepage:

Many of those lucky enough to view the Earth from space have described a sense of wonder and delight that can hold life-changing power, as Mike Fincke described first hand. Known as the “Overview Effect,” this experience is characterized by a dramatic cognitive shift in which the significance of man-made boundaries is eclipsed by a deep awareness that life on Earth operates as a borderless, interconnected whole. The striking clarity of this realization often triggers a keen sense of stewardship that seeks community beyond the limits of nationality and religion. The strength of this conservation instinct tends to grow even after the return to Earth, driving those who share this experience to reach out, and become highly active participants in the preservation of our common heritage.

This precisely aligns with my present world-view. I truly hope I have the opportunity to see this project in action some day.