Transcendence: Rhythm of Axé

Transcendence: Rhythm of Axé is an immersive VR experience exploring Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion grounded in ritual, ancestry, and spiritual energy. The title reflects its ethos: “Transcendence” signals crossing physical and cultural boundaries, while “Axé” (pronounced: ‘ashay’) denotes the life force uniting all beings in Candomblé cosmology.

This project emerged from a core research question: how can VR ethically represent sacred, intangible practices without reducing them to spectacle? It seeks to contribute to current immersive heritage discourse by positioning interpretation as an ethical design strategy rather than simulation.

Built using motion capture, spatial sound, and immersive visual design, the project invites participants into evocative environments inspired by Brazil’s sacred spaces, where dreamlike ritual zones unfold through archival interpretation and tradition.

Rather than observing from a distance, viewers are immersed in authentic voices, ceremonial soundscapes, and symbolic acts - lighting candles, clapping, striking sacred drums - that foster embodied rhythm, presence, and transformation while evoking the emotional resonance of spiritual continuity and the enduring impact of colonial histories without appropriating ritual.

Positioned as an interpretation rather than a reconstruction, the work honours Afro-Brazilian identity and resilience while interrogating how immersive media can represent intangible heritage responsibly. It advances immersive heritage practice by uniting symbolic interaction, practitioner testimony, and responsive design into a framework that safeguards cultural sovereignty, showing how VR can convey the vitality of living traditions without resorting to spectacle.