Projecting Ferrofluids in the Simulation Suite

Projected within the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science Building, with advisor John - Paul Mills, Lecturer/Senior Lecturer Simulation.

This week I had the opportunity to experiment with projecting my work inside the university’s simulation suite. I’ve been exploring the movement of ferrofluids and wanted to see how these visuals would transform when scaled up and immersed in a larger format; a space usually reserved for medical students to practice and simulate emergency situations. Instead of its usual function as a training environment, I transformed and redefined it as an environment for art.

Set up using three high-definition projectors in the simulation suite, each showing moving footage of ferrofluids. The projections were supported by binaural beats playing in the background, with both sound and image moving in sync, this setup allowed the ferrofluids to fill the space on multiple walls at once, creating an immersive effect and representing the Chromesthetic experience.

Using the suite in this way gave me a better understanding of how projection can completely change the scale and impact of the work. It also showed me how synchronising image and sound can heighten the immersive quality, something I want to keep developing in future tests.

Originally the projections were intended to fill the walls completely, I chose to keep the image contained within the frame of the petri dish on a black background. This decision made the immersive quality of the work feel more focused and interactive, without overwhelming the viewer.

A few passers-by were invited into the simulation space while setting up the projections, and I took notes of their reactions.  All three found the work engaging and effective in different ways:

• One suggested it could be sold to a company called Generate, which specialises in interactive artwork, and also mentioned that the university’s mental health department might find it interesting for students and staff to utilise.

• Another said that simply watching the work was very relaxing and that they could watch it for hours.

• The third commented that it reminded him of his Ibiza days, which brought a fun, personal association to the piece.

  
  

Hearing these responses highlighted to me how the immersive projection can appeal in multiple ways, both as a relaxing, meditative experience and as an interactive, potentially commercial or therapeutic application whilst also bringing awareness to Chromesthesia.

To conclude, the simulation suite provided me with the opportunity to transform a space usually reserved for medical training into an immersive environment for art for the first time. Testing the projections, sound, and spatial setup helped me understand how moving ferrofluids can interact with a room and engage viewers, the experiment confirmed the immersive potential of the work and offered valuable feedback that will shape the next stage of the project. Seeing how viewers responded highlighted the potential for both interactive and therapeutic applications, and it gave me ideas for how to expand the work for the future.