Exploring new depths of culture at Wonderfruit 2024
Category
What's New
Published
Monday 19 August
Last Updated
Monday 19 August
This year, Wonderfruit invites you to explore more experiences than ever before designed to help you deepen your connection to mind and nature. Our approach is all about exploring new ways to wonder, guiding you through experiences that are both profound and immersive by encouraging curiosity and engagement.
Get to know the five pillars shaping Wonderfruit 2024:
Softening the walls of the mind
Our ethos at Wonderfruit is rooted in the belief that through experiencing and discovering new practices, we can create a foundation for growth and transformation. We understand that people come to Wonderfruit with an agenda, with a checklist of things to do and performances to see. People might even come with pre-conceived notions or opinions. There’s nothing wrong with that, we just hope people can make time to find and discover new things, and soften the boundaries of the mind by embracing practices and rituals that harmonize with nature.
A lot of this happens at Wonderness, where we delve into the depths of well-being, exploring much more than just physical practices like yoga and breathwork. Our approach is holistic, intertwining the mind, body and spirit. This is why we’ve expanded Wonderness to include new venues: Bath House, Boutique Camping, Slow Wonder and Unconditional Space, because wellness includes everything from how you sleep to spending time close to water, offering an even broader spectrum of experiences that resonate with the rhythm of life itself. These additions reflect our commitment to a deeper understanding of wellness, one that embraces the mind’s power and its connection to the natural world around us.
In venues like Unconditional Space and Dhyana, we go deeper into practices and rituals that extend beyond the physical, embracing rituals, screenings, oracle readings, talks and performances. These activities guide us in unlearning and relearning, helping us connect with our inner landscapes through structure and repetition. By engaging in these universal rituals—whether it’s making offerings, reciting mantras or participating in symbolic gestures—we hope Wonderers discover new ways to nurture their inner selves and experience the interconnectedness of all things.
As these new practices become familiar, they evolve into routines that continue to enrich our lives beyond The Fields. This journey of discovery leads us to embrace the unknown with curiosity and wonder, ultimately shaping new patterns and rituals that guide us on a path of continuous exploration.
Growing with the land
Our journey is intricately tied to the land we cultivate, and we believe that the more life we pour into it, the more wisdom it gives back to us. This relationship is not just about stewardship; it’s about growing alongside our environment, learning from it and evolving with it. As we nurture the land, it nurtures us in return, leading to a transformation that is both inward and outward—a shared journey that connects us to the earth and to ourselves in profound ways.
A key part of this journey is our Ancestral Forest, a living testament to our dedication to rewilding and regeneration. In partnership with rewilding experts at SUGI and Baan Suan Onsorn, we planted 30,000 trees in 2022 using the Miyawaki Method, with the vision of creating a thriving forest that informs our programming and offers nature-inspired experiences. Now, just three years on, the forest is flourishing, becoming a home for functional and medicinal species. As the forest grows, so do we, deepening our connection to the land and learning from its natural wisdom.
This year, our commitment to the land continues as we plant a Yang Na Forest with TK Architects, paying homage to our mother tree with 10,000 new trees. Our goal is to cultivate a “crown shyness” phenomenon, where the crowns of fully grown trees form a canopy with delicate, channel-like gaps. This symbolizes not just the growth of the forest but also our growth in knowledge and wisdom. As we expand our land, we’re not just increasing in size—we’re deepening our understanding of the symbiotic relationship between nature and humanity, the human and non-human.
Our partnership with MSCTY_Studio has allowed us to capture the essence of this growing forest. Throughout the year, we take audio samples from the trees and surrounding land, transforming them into soundscapes that resonate within The Fields. This year, these soundscapes will play a larger role, as we introduce more performances and experiences in the Ancestral Forest. We invite everyone to explore this special place, where every tree, sound and moment contributes to a collective narrative of growth and discovery.
The latent power of sound
At Wonderfruit, sound is more than just a backdrop—it’s a multidimensional experience that engages the mind, body and spirit. We know that different frequencies can evoke specific emotions and states of mind, influencing our mood and well-being in profound ways. By delving into the emotional and therapeutic effects of rhythms and melodies, we’re trying to uncover the relationship between sound and the mind, enhancing the overall experience for Wonderers.
A significant part of this exploration involves our collaboration with Nick Luscombe and James Greeg from MSCTY Studio and, for the first time, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). We’re launching a series of experiments and creative outputs that examine the intersection of sound, health and well-being. In September, we’ll host a sound camp in The Fields, where with members of our community, we’ll engage with the natural environment through field recordings, interactive workshops, meditations, and discussions. The audio gathered during this camp will be featured in our Sonic Minds activations at Wonderfruit 2024, across venues like Enfold, Polygon Live and the Ancestral Forest. This exploration will test how sound can enhance well-being by connecting scientific research with spiritual concepts, offering new ways to experience and understand sound.
As we expand these ideas, we’re bringing more immersive sound experiences to more venues within The Fields. Polygon Live will undergo a transformation, and we’ll experiment more with its light and sound capabilities in new ways, bringing new genres and new sound experiences to the venue. Enfold’s programming is evolving to include more focused listening experiences, connecting Wonderers to the environment around them through ambient sounds with a view of the starry night sky. Elsewhere, site-specific sound and art installations will create experiences uniquely shaped by their surroundings, inviting deeper engagement with the environment through sound.
In this exploration of sound, we invite you to experience how these auditory journeys can transform not only your time in The Fields but also your understanding of sound in the world beyond.
Celebrating connection through culture
At Wonderfruit, culture serves as the heart of human connection, acting as a bridge that brings people together. Through a variety of cultural expressions—music, food, art or performance—we create spaces where people can connect on a deeper level, celebrating the richness of human creativity and the stories that bind us.
Our way of exploring culture honors traditions and generational wisdom by thoughtfully incorporating them into the programming in The Fields. From the artists we invite to the chefs who prepare our food, to the performers who take the stage, each is chosen for their unique interpretation of culture. We challenge our contributors to think creatively, offering them a platform to present their own distinct vision. It’s through these creative expressions that we keep traditions alive, making them accessible and engaging for Wonderers to enjoy.
One of the best examples of this is Molam World, which honors the rich history of Isaan through music, traditions, food, workshops, and performances. What began as a small gathering around the Molam Bus by Jim Thompson in 2016 has since evolved into Molam Village, and this year, it becomes Molam World, bringing more to experience than ever before. This year, Molam World expands even further, offering more food, collaborative performances and workshops that are a rich expression of northeast Thai culture.
Indigo World is another space where tradition meets innovation, drawing people together around the immersive art of indigo dyeing. This unexpected hub has become a place where Wonderers breathe new life into a centuries-old Thai tradition, bringing new energy into the bright blue hues. This year, Wonderers can look forward to even more activities and dining experiences unfolding within the indigo-draped panels—and, in case you missed it, there’s even a DJ.
Music, perhaps the most joyful expression of culture, is celebrated across The Fields. Venues like Forbidden Fruit come alive with regional collectives that bring the sights and sounds of their home countries, creating a cross-cultural exchange. Creature Stage provides a platform for performers to explore their a side of them that they might not get to do elsewhere, transforming their performances into powerful expressions of culture and identity. Through these musical encounters, we celebrate the diversity and creativity that culture inspires.
This collective journey at Wonderfruit not only entertains but also educates, offering a platform where celebration becomes a powerful vehicle for cultural exchange and appreciation. In every beat, every taste and every ritual, we are reminded that culture is the thread that binds us together, creating connections that resonate far beyond The Fields.
Stories to eat
At Wonderfruit, food is far more than sustenance; it’s a medium for storytelling, a way to connect with the past and the world around us. Whether across venues or at one of the many vendors in The Fields, our approach to food is rooted in the belief that nourishment is not just about eating but about honoring the timeless practices that have sustained communities for generations. Our goal is that the plates we serve carry a legacy, social bond and a narrative of health while nodding to the environment.
This respect for tradition and generational wisdom is foundational at venues like Theatre of Eats, which you might remember as Theatre of Feasts. Now part of Molam Village, the evolved venue brings together a colorful selection of vendors serving Thai regional dishes in a setting that reflects the vibrant food culture of Thailand. The reimagined venue will seat 130 guests in what resembles a Thai food circle where Wonderers can explore the flavors of Thailand, honoring heritage while embracing the future of food. Expect a delicious journey through Thailand’s culinary landscape that is spicy, thrilling and complex.
This means that Wonder Kitchen is stepping into a more central role this year, becoming the main dining venue for Chef’s Tables with an expanded seating capacity of around 100 guests. Our hope is to see it become a gathering place where people can unite around shared causes and explore themes that resonate deeply with our ethos. These themes include reducing food waste, bridging tradition and innovation, fostering community resilience and understanding food as medicine. What this means is that every meal at Wonder Kitchen is an opportunity to engage, learn and connect with the culinary traditions that nourish and feed both body and spirit. These themes don’t just guide food, but the also conversations, workshops and activities that unfold across the venue, creating meaningful connections between Wonderers and the food they eat.
Meanwhile, Open Kitchen welcomes Wonderers back to dine with women, aunts and grandmothers. These matriarchs share their culinary wisdom, crafting age-old recipes with a rhythmic care that turns each meal into an act of love and tradition. The top floor, however, is transforming into a table service restaurant for a more intimate dining experience, where locally sourced ingredients and family recipes come together backdropped by a bird’s eye view of The Fields. On the first floor, Life’s Market by Pa Chan is also returning for an immersive educational experience featuring tastings, hands-on workshops and discussions that explore the rich traditions and wisdom passed down through generations, gaining profound appreciation and understanding. Pa Chan, lovingly known as Auntie Chan, passionately advocates for nature and self-improvement. Her motivations stem from her own health challenges due to her eating habits, and she shares her wealth and knowledge in this welcoming space.