ChromaFlow
Next Steps for ChromaFlow: The Chromasensorium
As the project progresses, the immediate focus is on refining the technical and sensory components to enhance the immersive experience. This involves completing the ferrofluid motion control tests to ensure precise and responsive visual patterns that align with auditory stimuli. Simultaneously, efforts will be directed toward fine-tuning the chromesthetic colour-mapping process in collaboration with chromesthete Louie Burns. This collaboration aims to achieve a more authentic translation of sound into visual elements, enriching the multi-sensory dimension of the work.
Optimising projection methods is also a priority, with the goal of creating a more enveloping visual environment that fully immerses the audience. To assess the effectiveness of these enhancements, initial feedback will be gathered from a small test group once the project has been ethically approved. This feedback will inform further adjustments and ensure that the installation resonates with viewers on both sensory and emotional levels.
Intermediate Goals
Looking ahead to intermediate goals, expanding the collaborative network is essential. Engaging with other sound engineers and neuroscientists will provide deeper insights into the technical and perceptual aspects of the project. These collaborations will facilitate the development of real-time interactivity, allowing the ferrofluid to respond dynamically to live sound inputs. Additionally, testing the installation in diverse environments, such as galleries, dark rooms, and outdoor spaces, will be crucial for understanding its adaptability and impact across different contexts.
Long Term Goals
In the long term, the ambition is to evolve the project into a larger-scale immersive exhibition that seamlessly integrates visual, auditory, and tactile elements, offering audiences a fully embodied sensory experience. By scaling up the installation, the aim is to create environments where chromesthetic perception is not only visualised but lived, transforming the way audiences engage with sound, colour, and movement.
Beyond traditional gallery spaces, there is potential for the work to be presented at music festivals, both mainstream and holistic/ wellness-focused events, where immersive, sensory-rich environments are increasingly sought after. Situating the project within these contexts could open up new ways of connecting with diverse audiences, offering alternative sensory experiences that blend art, sound, and technology in vibrant, communal settings.
In parallel, the project's co-collaborative ethos could be expanded into educational and research contexts, working with individuals who have autism, ADHD, or other forms of neurodivergence. This could involve developing workshops and studies within schools, universities, and community organisations, fostering greater engagement with perceptual diversity and alternative modes of creativity. Such an expansion would not only align with inclusive and accessible practice but also contribute to wider conversations around neurodiversity, education, and the arts.
Beyond public exhibitions and participatory projects, documenting the methodologies, collaborative processes, and technical innovations involved could offer valuable insights to fields such as sensory studies, neuro-aesthetics, and interdisciplinary art practice. The research could extend the project’s reach into academic discourse, inspiring future cross-disciplinary work at the intersection of art, perception, and technology.
Securing funding through grants, partnerships, or sponsorships will be pivotal in supporting these ambitions. Long-term investment would enable further development of the technology, deeper collaborations with neuroscientists and engineers, and the realisation of more ambitious, multi sensory installations that can tour to festivals, galleries, and educational settings, opening up new conversations about perception, accessibility, and creative collaboration.