GENTLY DOWN PROJECT
Gently Down is a journey of transformation, where the mundane becomes marvelous, and the ordinary turns luminous through the alchemical power of purification and ritual.
In 2001, Spiros Antonopoulos and Barry Silver crossed paths as yoga students in New York City, not realizing that this chance meeting would spark a profound creative partnership. Four years later, we brought Gently Down to life on the sacred banks of the Ganges River in the Himalayas with Bathed, Beaten, Blessed—an immersive experience that honored the ancient flow of the river and the soul’s deeper currents. A decade later, in 2015, we returned to Varanasi for Bathed, Beaten, Blessed 2.0—a more refined offering, yet still deeply rooted in the timeless energies of this sacred land.
In January 2025, the circle comes full, and the journey deepens. We return to India to mark 20 years of creative collaboration and spiritual exploration. Our next chapter unfolds at the mystical confluence of three rivers—The Ganges and Yamuna, which represent our physical world of duality, time, and space, and The Saraswati, symbolizing the transcendental realm. Here, the ancient, pulsating energy of the Kumbh Mela festival will serve as the backdrop for Bathed, Beaten, Blessed 3.0.
Our project blends performance art with a process of transformation. We journey to India not only to be bathed, beaten, and blessed by the project itself, aiding our own transformations, but to consecrate objects that allow participants to touch the Sublime. The launch of The Kumbh Mela festival sets the stage for this next edition. As the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn, the festival brings the luminous essences of celestial bodies—the stars and planets—into earthly manifestation. Together, we gather, consecrate, and purify our works, prayers, and the hopes of our friends and community. We draw on the celestial inspiration of The Star (the 17th card of the major arcana), channeling its energy into our daily lives through the objects we consecrate and carry forward.
This is not just a celebration; it is an invitation to dive into the cosmic ruckus where time and eternity merge, where the river's flow calls us to surrender and transform.