Project Framework 

Exploring process, collaboration, and materiality in translating chromesthetic perception.

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This project has been developed through ongoing experimentation, conversation, and problem-solving. At its core is an unusual but energising collaboration between myself and Louie Burns, a Chromesthete. Louie experiences sound as a visual phenomenon, due to a neurological condition called Chromesthesia, where music/ sound becomes a moving palette of textures, colours, and shapes. (Exceptional Individuals. 2023) Our aim has been to find ways of making these internal visualisations tangible through an immersive audio-visual installation.

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Using ferrofluid, electromagnetism, and digital projection, we are developing an installation that transforms sound into motion and colour in real time and aims to become a moving, shifting visualisation of sound waves, while enhancing the visualisation of the chromesthetic effect, creating a dynamic interplay between audio, visual, and physical movement. This work is interdisciplinary in nature, sitting at the crossroads of art, science, and sensory experience. It merges elements of experimental sound design, fluid dynamics, and digital media to push the limits of how we perceive and interact with sound.

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Our working process has involved phases of testing and refining. In the early stages, we have used Louie’s visual responses to specific sounds as a creative framework. These weren’t interpreted as a fixed rule but rather as a starting point for creating visuals that move, shimmer, pulse, or spark in response to sound. While Louie’s perception of sound is intuitive and spontaneous, the tools we have started to use physically visualise it (ferrofluids, electromagnetism, and digital projections) all require methodical experimentation. This dynamic has shaped our process: part scientific trials, part artistic translation.

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The iterative nature of the project has meant working in stages, testing materials and colours, revisiting sound responses, and reflecting on outcomes through conversations. Some stages of the process felt like translation, others like interpretations, and occasionally, like inventing a crazy, new visual language. Rather than aiming for a direct reproduction of Louie’s chromesthetic experience, the goal has been to build a shared system that bridges perception and material form, grounded in co-collaboration and mutual responsiveness.

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Sound to Vision: Co-collaborative Translation

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Our process began with a series of conversational sessions, where we discussed how specific songs look to my co-collaborator. For example, in “Cearta” by Kneecap, she described a vivid interplay of “sparks” to represent the drums, and jagged, pulsing shapes to visualise the baseline. Lyrics appear like floating text,  similar to a 3D lyric video forming in real-time. These discussions have been central to developing a visual vocabulary that I can then attempt to interpret and animate.

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I’m intentionally resisting the urge to “visualise” music in a literal or synesthetic-for-effect kind of way. Instead, we’re co-developing a framework that feels true to her lived experience, while also allowing space for artistic interpretation and technical constraints.

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Ferrofluids & Electromagnetism

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One of the key materials we’ve worked with is ferrofluids a magnetic liquid which becomes highly magnetised in the presence of a magnetic field (MAGCRAFT. 2015) It acts as a physical, fluid “brushstroke” that responds in real time to audio input. We aim to experiment with a range of magnet strengths, distances, and audio frequencies to understand how the fluid moves under different conditions. At this stage, in order to do this, the role of a technician needed to be employed, Phil Iddon, a telecommunications expert and musician has helped modify the physical setup to find the right balance between chaos and control.

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I’ve been testing different setups to control the ferrofluid’s shape and behaviour. The goal is to have these fluids echo the chromesthetic “motion” of music as described by my collaborator. While still in progress, I’ve had moments where the fluid’s sudden spike or collapse perfectly mirrors the “pop” of a drumbeat or sharp vocals. These kinds of synchronicities, even when accidental, have helped us think about the emotional response/ rhythm of music as something that can be felt visually . A lot of this process was trial-and-error, we quickly learned that controlling ferrofluid isn’t just a technical challenge it’s become, choreography, physics, and patience. In these experiments, Louie’s feedback was vital, not just in describing how a sound looked to her, but how it felt, and how that could be visually interpreted or hinted at through movement and flow.

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Projection, Digital Layering & VR

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The final layer is digital projection, which acts like a bridge between the fluid and the chromesthetic colour. Currently I’ve been using the String Theory app and Project M, to generate moving digital artworks that are abstract, layered, and sometimes reactive. These visuals will then be projected over or alongside the ferrofluid to create a multi-sensory, immersive installation. A new exploration has been into VR, which may act as a more accessible immersive experience. 

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Lighting and surface will play a huge role in how the projection interacts with the ferrofluid. We discussed testing materials like glass, Perspex, and even water-filled surfaces to enhance or diffuse the light, depending on what feeling we’re trying to convey. It’s an ongoing experiment in how analogue and digital materials can communicate together.​​​ 

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Reflecting on Process

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This project has become less about “representing” chromesthesia and more about creating a shared space of sensory translation, a third language that sits between our two perceptual realities. The process is inherently dialogic, iterative, and a bit messy but it’s also rich with moments of surprise and resonance.

I’ve regularly documented our progress, including sketches, test videos, and snippets of our conversations. These entries reflect the way the project shifts between technical exploration and conceptual reflection.​​​​​​​