Announcing LIFE BOWL: Where Longevity Science Meets Traditional Wisdom
How do we define the art of aging?
For the past several decades, the conversation around longevity has largely been shaped within the walls of molecular biology labs—measuring cellular senescence, epigenetic clocks, and mTOR signaling pathways. Yet parallel to this empirical frontier lies an older, holistic tradition: centuries of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) focused on vital energy, systemic balance, and prevention.
Too often, these two traditions exist in silos, divided by language, methodology, and cultural geography.
This November, we are bridging that divide with the launch of LIFE BOWL, an immersive and interactive science communication project developed in close collaboration between Hong Kong and Basel.
The Vision: A Transcultural Dialogue on Longevity
LIFE BOWL is conceived as an open public arena where cutting-edge molecular life sciences and Traditional Chinese Medicine meet in direct dialogue.
Together with media art pioneer Jeffrey Shaw and the Visualization Research Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), we are creating an environment where complex longevity research is translated into an interactive, embodied experience.
Through a custom-built 3D augmented reality setting, visitors will engage directly with AI-powered conversational avatars. Rather than relying on generic web queries, these avatars draw upon a dedicated, vetted knowledge base built from in-depth research and conversations with the world’s leading longevity and aging researchers, including:
Michael N. Hall (Biozentrum, University of Basel)
Steve Horvath (Altos Labs / UCLA)
Matt Kaeberlein (University of Washington / Optispan)
Linda Partridge (Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing / UCL)
Anne Schäfer (Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing / Mount Sinai)
Fiona Marshall (President of Biomedical Research, Novartis)
Tony Wyss-Coray (Stanford University)
Alongside these molecular perspectives, the system integrates the foundational philosophies, diagnostic paradigms, and preventive practices of TCM, developed in dialogue with HKBU’s pioneering faculty. Experts of TCM will join the project soon.
Physical Spaces & A Digital Twin
Longevity is a global question, and LIFE BOWL is designed to be experienced across physical and digital borders:
November 18–20, 2026: Launch preview at Business of Design Week (BODW) in Hong Kong.
The premier full physical exhibition will take place in Hong Kong followed by another show in Basel, Switzerland.
Global Access: A fully realized Digital Twin running alongside the physical installations, allowing anyone worldwide to enter the virtual space and consult the AI avatars.
The project is made possible through a major grant from Hong Kong Baptist University and the generous support of the Biozentrum at the University of Basel.
We look forward to sharing more behind-the-scenes glimpses into the avatar development, the underlying knowledge architecture, and upcoming event schedules in future dispatches.
