Shin-Ryoanji: A Digital Garden is an exciting new exhibition at the Japan Foundation Gallery combining sculpture installation and sound. The installation, which was inspired by the work of avant-garde composer and artist, John Cage, is based on the famous kare-sansui (dry landscape) garden at Ryoanji temple in Kyoto.

After concurrently discovering both the Japanese garden, and Cage's musical composition “Ryoanji”, Fowler was convinced that the translation that Cage had initiated in sound could be mapped into a sculpture installation that presented a ‘digital’ version of the original kare-sansui at Ryoanji.

Fowler’s “Digital Garden” consists of 15 speakers of varying sizes, which represent the 15 rock-sculptures in the original garden. Through a 15-channel, 15-speaker sound system, Cage’s musical score will be used to articulate the gallery space in sound, similarly to how the original garden articulates physical space. In addition to the diffusion of sound throughout the gallery space, Fowler will use computer-programming methods to subtly allow the 15 distinct sounds to ‘grow’ as a background foil to the looped presentation of the Cage composition. The 15 background sounds morph and change throughout the period of the installation.