HoloSculpture is an interactive artwork developed by Turbulence Lab and Hamza Kırbaş that integrates artificial intelligence, anamorphic display technology, and sound within a single physical object. Conceived as both a sculptural form and a digital interface, the project explores how AI can be embodied in a tangible medium.

The piece incorporates a 4D anamorphic display, which generates a sense of depth and spatial presence, and a studio-grade sound system that enhances audiovisual interaction. Activated by voice, HoloSculpture engages in dialogue, uses gesture-like movements, and presents shifting visual compositions, creating a dynamic relationship between user and object.

all images courtesy of Hamza Kırbaş and Turbulence Lab

HoloSculpture functions as both sculpture and digital interface

Each unit is produced as a signed and numbered edition and includes three distinct AI ‘characters,’ programmed with unique modes of response and expression. In addition, owners receive three certified digital artworks associated with the sculpture. Through this combination, the project by Turbulence Lab and designer Hamza Kırbaş operates simultaneously as a functional device and a collectible artwork, positioning itself at the intersection of design, technology, and contemporary art. Find out more about HoloSculpture on kickstarter.

the work functions as both sculpture and digital interface

a 4D anamorphic display creates depth and spatial presence

studio-grade sound enhances the audiovisual experience

shifting visuals create a dynamic interaction with the viewer

a collectible artwork that doubles as a functional device

three distinct AI ‘characters’ are embedded in each piece

HoloSculpture exists at the intersection of object and interface

the design merges physical object with digital content

a personal interaction between human and living artwork

an exploration of how AI can take on sculptural form

voice activation allows the piece to respond to users

crafting HoloSculpture

fine-tuning and assembly

project info:

name: HoloSculpture – The Embodiment of Artificial Intelligence
designer: Turbulence Lab | @turbulencelab
lead designer: Hamza Kırbaş | @hamza__kirbas

learn more about ‘HoloSculpture’ on its kickstarter crowdfunding page.

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Inside the 600-year-old Grote Kerk Veere in Zeeland, Netherlands, artists Ludmila Rodrigues and Mike Rijnierse present Buoyants, a site-specific installation that transforms the church nave into a fluid, underwater-like environment. The work combines a kinetic sculpture in lightweight fabric with a multichannel soundscape, reinterpreting the lost Gothic ceiling while emphasizing the region’s deep connection with water.

Buoyants by Ludmila Rodrigues and Mike Rijnierse for the Grote Kerk Veere, in Zeeland, Netherlands, 2025 | all images by Benjamin van der Spek

a spatial choreography of fabric, sound, and light

The installation by creative Ludmila Rodrigues and artist Mike Rijnierse integrates three key elements: a suspended sculpture made of green voile, a spatial sound environment, and landing platforms where visitors can recline to experience both sound and vibration. The sculpture, positioned seven meters above ground, is animated by a custom mechanical system developed by Rob Bothof. Its slow movements resemble wave patterns and sea life while echoing the verticality and geometry of Gothic vaults.

Sound plays a central role in the project. Composed by Ji-Youn Kang, the two-hour soundscape is designed as a vertical layering of tones, guiding attention upward and into the space. Low frequencies are transmitted into the landing platforms, allowing visitors to feel the vibrations physically.

Buoyants transforms the nave of Grote Kerk Veere into a fluid, underwater-like landscape

Gothic Dutch Church turns into Underwater-Like Space

Buoyants reflects on the cultural and environmental history of Zeeland, a region long shaped by tides, floods, and rising sea levels. The artists approached water as both a material and temporal continuum, connecting the distant past of oceanic origins with the uncertain future shaped by climate change. At the same time, the work re-imagines the architectural grandeur of the church’s medieval ceiling, lost centuries ago, by creating a contemporary spatial choreography of fabric, sound, and light.

a suspended green voile sculpture reinterprets the lost Gothic ceiling

the fabric element hovers seven meters above the nave, animated by custom mechanics

a multichannel soundscape fills the nave with layered, spatial tones

visitors recline on platforms to experience both sound and movement

the work creates a dialogue between architecture, water, and environment

the sculptures’ slow movements resemble waves, sea life, and water currents

the kinetic sculpture shifts slowly, producing ever-changing visual rhythms

the suspended lightweight green voile achieves fluidity and motion

‘furry islands’ within the space enhance visitors’ tactile experience

project info:

name: ‘Buoyants’ art installation at Grote Kerk Veere
designers: Ludmila Rodrigues | @thebodyoftheaudience + Mike Rijnierse | @mikerijnierse

materials: voile, nylon rope, electronics, 8:4:3 multichannel sound installation

soundscape: Ji Youn Kang

motion engineering: Rob Bothof

3D rendering assistance: Sofia Chionidou

sound engineering: Dario Giustarini

seamstress: Tessa Bekker

wood work: Bas de Boer

intern: Norah van Lith

photographer: Benjamin van der Spek

drone footage: Wilbert Calhouw

commissioned by: Grote Kerk Veere in cooperation with CBK Zeeland

supported by: Municipality of Veere, Zeeland’s Province, the Mondriaan Fund, the Familiefonds Hurgronje, Hoogwerkt, AutoHopper, Quartair, and the Embassy of Brazil

The post fabric and sound art installations evoke underwater landscape within gothic dutch church appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Dmitry Morozov, known as ::vtol::, develops technology-based installations and kinetic sculptures that combine robotics, sounds, coding, and interactive systems. The Moscow-born, Ljubljana-based transdisciplinary artist and researcher centers his practice on electronic installations that react and respond to environmental changes and the proximity of the viewers. They include robotic systems, sound generators, and mechanical devices that operate independently once activated. ::vtol:: presented three of his recent projects at Sónar+D between June 12th and 14th, 2025, during which designboom also hosted a live talk with the artist.

In a recent interview, the artist, who’s the mastermind behind the tattoo-based instrument Reading My Body and wearable mask organ Last Breath, shares with us that when he creates works, he’s creating a form of entities with agencies rather than just tools. ‘Ultimately, I perceive my works as participants in a gigantic performance called technological art. This kind of art is very ephemeral, as the lifespan of any object is quite limited—either the electronics will break down, the software will be updated, or the mechanics will fail,’ he tells us.

view of Last Breath | all images courtesy of Dmitry Morozov, known as ::vtol::

microcontrollers process sensors and control mechanics

::vtol:: constructs his kinetic sculptures, robotics, sounds, and code-driven installations using electronic components, sensors, motors, and custom programming code, and each work includes microcontrollers that process sensor data and control mechanical movements. The systems respond to sound, motion, light, or other environmental inputs, allowing these machines to exhibit unpredictable behaviors that seem to react to the user’s mood and handling methods. The artist applies sculptural methods to electronic construction, too. Instead of following engineering protocols, he treats circuit boards, sensors, and actuators as sculptural materials. 

This approach of ::vtol:: produces kinetic sculptures, robotics, and installations that have personality traits with their operational patterns. Sound generation systems are often a recurring theme in his practice, where mechanical components create acoustic outputs through vibration, striking, or air movement. Electronic circuits process these sounds and feed them back into the mechanical systems, creating feedback loops. The works operate as autonomous performers, and sensors detect audience presence and environmental changes. The systems modify their behavior based on this input data, so different audience interactions produce varying mechanical responses.

side profile of Last Breath

Technology-based artworks that demonstrate lifelike behaviors

::vtol:: shares with designboom that while he creates what may be considered as a ‘set of electronic components and code’, he always puts his soul into these kinetic sculptures, robotics, and installations. After all, he’s partly a sculptor, and not an engineer, as he describes himself. ‘I grew up in the 80s and 90s when half of all devices were still analog. These devices behaved so unpredictably that it seemed to depend even on your mood transmitted in the field around the object. I believe this quality has also transferred to many of my works. Since childhood, I have been accustomed to perceiving devices not just as soulless objects, but as living beings,’’ he explains to us. 

It’s worth noting that he’s not inclined towards esotericism, but the artist admits that there is certainly more for people to discover about how living and non-living objects interact on different levels. As a result, the kinetic sculptures, robotics, and installations of ::vtol:: explore relationships between living beings and technological systems, and he investigates how people interact with machines that demonstrate lifelike behaviors. The installations then respond to human presence in ways that suggest awareness or intention. Below, we continue our conversation with the transdisciplinary artist and researcher, who tells us the beginning of his artistic journey, his creative process, the backstories of the projects he presented at Sónar+D in Barcelona, and the ways he sees the ever-evolving climate of contemporary digital art.

the exhaled air (its pressure and flow rate) activates the generative process

Interview with Dmitry Morozov, known as ::vtol::

Designboom (DB): Your practice spans kinetic sculpture, robotics, sound, and code-driven installations. Can you walk us through your trajectory as a transdisciplinary artist and researcher? What were some of the pivotal moments or turning points that shaped your current approach?

Dmitry Morozov / ::vtol:: : I started my journey as an artist completely unaware that I was one. I understand that this sounds unusual or even strange, but I truly became a media artist before I even realized it myself. Initially, I became very fascinated with electronic experimental music: formless, strange, and endlessly testing new ways of extracting and creating timbres. This led me into the world of electronics as a DIY practice: circuit-bending, DIY synthesizers, and so on. I began building my own synthesizers and strange controllers for creating and manipulating sound around 2006-2007. At that time, I didn’t yet understand that there was a vast scene where interactive art, multimedia, music, and sound art intersected. 

The format of installations, sculptures, or performances didn’t interest me much back then, although many of my early objects were in some way related to them. Everything changed when a few of my more knowledgeable friends in this practice told me that with my skills, I could easily fit into much more prestigious events like exhibitions and contemporary art festivals, unlike the underground noise concerts I was used to. All it took was to make my ‘instruments’ larger and more friendly for audience interaction. I tried it, and I really enjoyed the audience’s reaction; seeing viewers interact with your work is incredibly energizing.

‘топот-м’ explores the concept of an extended body

::vtol:: (continues): By that time, I had already created many instruments for other musicians, such as Aphex Twin, but usually, my instruments ended up in studios and collections, and you rarely receive feedback or get to observe how they are used. With interactive art, everything is quite different; essentially, you witness the act of interaction or observation, which is the artwork itself. It emerges at that moment, not when you finish creating the mechanism. At first, my works only included sound, but very quickly the media expanded – light was added, movement, more complex interactivity; the works became more conceptually thought out, addressing various complex themes – sometimes social, sometimes very abstract or historical (for example, media-archaeological). 

In fact, when you master one technical language as your tool – like electronics or programming – other ‘mediums’ become clearer and easier to learn quickly. The main thing is to understand the logic of data and signals and how they can interact with each other if needed. This rapidly and easily expands your expressive range. Thus, I quickly shifted to kinetic and robotic works, and since programming is necessary for their operation, you begin to see the potential in works that primarily consist of code, regularly venturing into that territory (for example, my project Hotspot poet). I believe that the combination of different media can greatly support each other when revealing a particular concept, especially if it is embodied in a design and visually appealing object.

‘you, me and all these machines’ is a performance for voice and electronic devices

DB: Your projects often carry a strong DIY ethic, open-source tools, hacked hardware, self-built systems. How do science, tinkering, and the ethos of experimentation inform your creative process? What role does risk or failure play in how you develop new work?

::vtol:: : DIY is the most important ideology in my work. I believe that an artist should do as much as possible by themselves and use as little ready-made material or outsourcing as possible. Of course, this approach can lead to absurdity, and one might even start making electronic components themselves (like my project Resistor) or wires, but I am endless in this pursuit, and whatever happens, happens. Essentially, the more that is done exclusively by you in your work, the more it reflects you, although this is not so simple in technological art. This leads to many mistakes – some of them are fatal for the project, while others open new horizons, often turning the meaning of the work 180 degrees. By introducing something into it that is beyond your control, you simply allow it to exist. 

Overall, I subscribe to the concept that ideas don’t belong to their authors; we are just lucky to snatch them from the flow of something and, given the right circumstances, embody them in a piece of art. Therefore, I am always happy to share both ideas and technical components of projects; this even affects their appearance. I rarely hide elements in a case; it is usually immediately clear how everything is made. In the last 5 – 6 years, I have also actively taken up teaching, which is very energizing. You systematize and structure your knowledge to share it more successfully, and this, in turn, inspires new ideas. It’s really cool to see how your students pick this up; you show them some technique that has become clichéd for you, and they suddenly apply it in a very unconventional way.

‘drop’ is a small automatic device consisting of a Geiger counter

DB: A few years back we published two of your projects, Reading My Body and Last Breath, on designboom. Can you take us inside the making of those pieces? What were the conceptual or technical challenges, and how did they evolve during the process?

::vtol:: : Reading My Body was initially inspired by some silly sci-fi movie where people had barcode tattoos that worked as passes to different zones. I liked the idea of a functional design on the body, but instead of control, I wanted it to be something more elegant. At that time, my friends were organizing a sound art festival of performances, and I decided to create a strange performance there – I would get a tattoo and make a robot that would use it as a score. 

Everything happened lightning fast; I drew the tattoo in Photoshop in probably about 20 minutes, then immediately ran to find a salon with an available artist, but it was already evening and everyone was either busy or didn’t want to do such a tattoo. Eventually, in despair, I stumbled into the last salon that happened to be on my way; everything there was in a biker-rocker style, far from what I needed, but they liked the idea when I started explaining it, and the artist did everything very quickly. I didn’t wait for the tattoo to heal and immediately started ‘building’ the object for reading it; a couple of times I touched the tattoo with the details – it was very painful and funny.

there’s a hydraulic system involved in the work ‘drop’

::vtol:: (continues): In the end, it turned out to be a very successful work – when I shot the video and posted the documentation, the project spread all over the internet. I understand that from both a sound and technical perspective, it could have been much more complex or successful, but everything turned out as it did – thanks to the DIY approach and quick decision-making! I was very pleased with myself, and a few years later, I learned that this project inspired experimenters at MIT Media Labs to conduct their research in this direction, creating smart tattoos for medical purposes. So sometimes even DIY artists can be useful to society. As for the project ‘Last Breath,’ it was born when I was in India in 2019 and became seriously ill with some virus. 

COVID was still a whole year away, so I anticipated a trend a year in advance; artists sometimes have good intuition. I was very scared of dying back then, but not because I was afraid for my life, but because I didn’t want to stop creating, playing music, and engaging in creativity. So, I essentially made myself a pre-mortem instrument, in case I could no longer move but would still be breathing. It turned out epic and even a bit brutal. This is, by the way, a good example to illustrate co-participation with a technological object – it cannot exist without me, and I cannot exist without it, but I do not define everything it does; the instrument has its own working algorithm, and all it needs from me is a flow of air. This significantly changes the hierarchy between the instrument and the performer, establishing rather a horizontal connection.

view of j2000.0

DB: This year, you presented a series of projects at Sónar+D’s Project Area. What did you showcase, and how does it build on, or depart from, your previous projects? Are there any shifts in your materials, methods, or conceptual interests that this new work reveals?

::vtol:: : I presented three works, quite different and from different periods of my life. The first work is ‘Drop,’ a small sound sculpture-fountain. The work uses a small Geiger counter that measures radiation levels. It’s a simple but very precise device capable of detecting even individual particles passing through it. There is always a slight background radiation on any point of Earth, which is absolutely normal. 

Each time one of the particles passes through the device, a drop falls from a small tube into a basin equipped with optical sensors that detect the ripples in the water after the drop falls. These sensors control a small synthesizer that produces sounds. The longer the device operates, the more complex its timbre becomes; that is, it is a sound composition developing over time, dependent on a natural phenomenon. It’s quite a meditative device.

iPot is a device for performing a digital tea ceremony

::vtol:: (continues): The second work is ‘Remember Me, Erase Me,’ which, strangely enough, has no sound. Essentially, it’s a selfie machine – anyone can approach it and take their picture simply by pressing a button. But as soon as they take the shot, the photo starts to distort as if it is being forgotten; they need to press another button to stop the degradation and print the photo. So, it’s like memories –  the longer ago something was, the worse the image is preserved, although it remains recognizable for quite some time. The third work is a collaborative project with artist Alexandra Gavrilova called ‘iPot.’ Essentially, it’s a robot for a tea ceremony. The machine heats water and then pours it into a transparent reservoir, above which there is a camera. After that, a small ball of Chinese tea falls from a tube, which looks like a blooming flower during brewing. 

This ball gradually unfolds, and the camera connected to a program tracks this and transforms its movement into digital abstract graphics and sound. After some time, this process stops, and the prepared tea is automatically poured into five small cups offered to the audience. Even in hot Barcelona, viewers were very happy to taste exquisite tea from such an unusual machine, especially after observing the entire process. Despite the fact that these works were created some time ago, they are still quite new, and in response to your question, I would say that the most significant change is a certain lyrical and poetic quality in my works that has become more characteristic of me in recent years. Perhaps long interaction with technology has generated in me a desire to convey increasingly human qualities using non-human agents.

‘reading my body’ is а sound controller that uses tattoo as a music score | read more here

DB: Looking ahead, what excites you most about where digital art is going? Are there any current trends or technologies you find troubling, ethically, politically, or artistically?

::vtol:: : I am closely following how contemporary digital art is changing. There are aspects that I really like – such as the fact that materials and many technologies are becoming increasingly compact and accessible. However, there are other things that I like a bit less – like how everyone has jumped on the AI bandwagon, even when it may not be particularly relevant to a specific project. The technology itself is wonderful and holds endless potential, but I often see its use merely in favor of trends. 

It would be foolish to deny its significance for art, but personally, I use it very little; perhaps that will change in the near future. What I undoubtedly appreciate is that AI has greatly simplified programming for people who have never learned it, and most artists are initially quite distant from programming. The way ChatGPT can skillfully handle code and assist in creating programs of various levels is astonishing; I see how quickly my students are progressing because of this. It opens up new horizons in art.

‘hotspot poet’ distributes wi-fi masked as wireless network

project info:

artist: ::vtol:: | @vtol_

name: Dmitry Morozov

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Designer Asaf Beiman conceives GRID, a sound system designed as a central furniture piece rather than an accessory. Inspired by mid-century stereo consoles, pieces that once stood proudly at the heart of living spaces, blending sound, storage, and style, GRID reunites fragmented audio components into a singular furniture piece. ‘Why settle for a bookshelf speaker when you can design a speaker that actually is a bookshelf?,’ comments Beiman. As listeners rediscover vinyl, they reconnect with music as a tangible reflection of identity. Vinyl collections, unlike endless digital libraries, are physical expressions of who we are. GRID taps into this, offering a modular platform designed to feel personal, unique, curated, and yours alone, just like a vinyl collection.

all images courtesy of Asaf Beiman

Bold geometric forms define GRID sound wall

Designer Asaf Beiman deconstructed the vintage stereo console into modular elements, creating a system that adapts effortlessly to different spaces and needs. The solution is a family of aluminum tiles, connected by vertical poles from floor-to-ceiling or wall-mounted, forming a bold yet elegant structure. Drawing visual inspiration from mid-century, space-age wall sculptures, Beiman leveraged these geometric shapes not just aesthetically but acoustically, using tile forms as waveguides and to shape internal volume. Aluminum was chosen for its minimalistic look, modern feel, and acoustic qualities. Widely used in high-end audio design, it perfectly balances form, function, and sound.

GRID reimagines the sound system as furniture

inspired by mid-century stereo consoles

sound, storage, and style in one piece

a speaker that doubles as a bookshelf

vinyl collections as personal identity

modular design adapts to any space

floor-to-ceiling or wall-mounted configurations

aluminum tiles form the system’s core

bold geometric forms with acoustic purpose

vertical poles connect structure and components

tile shapes act as sound waveguides

mid-century meets space-age design language.

aluminum chosen for acoustic performance

system unites fragmented audio components

structure designed for flexibility and curation

project info:

name: GRID – sound wall | @grid_soundwall
designer: Asaf Beiman | @asafbeiman

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post aluminum grid sound wall imagines modular speaker system as central furniture piece appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Yuri Suzuki introduces UTOOTO, a sonic interactive installation that the viewers collectively build using the modular sound parts onsite. On view at the Camden Arts Projects in London between August 7th and October 5th, 2025, the structure is made up of connected sections, with the white pipes forming a network for the colored horns at differing heights. Some horns face upward, some downward, and others face sideways, but all of the pipes are joined using connector pieces, allowing the installation to have many branches extending in different directions. The design then uses a modular system, allowing it to be assembled and altered in parts, depending on the space.

In Yuri Suzuki’s interactive installation, visitors use a set of pipes, horns, and easy-to-use tools to reconfigure the pavilion-looking structure. They can create and change the pathways of the horns, and in return, they alter the travel and echo of the sounds. The artist, who is well-known for his use of vibrant and interactive horns in his artistic practice and installations, says that the artwork serves as an acoustic device that underlines a collective play through the viewers’ participation. UTOOTO’s exhibition at the Camden Arts Projects follows after its showcasing at the Design Saint Etienne and as part of another exhibition titled Echoes of Nature.

all images courtesy of Yuri Suzuki | photos by Deniz Guzel, unless stated otherwise

UTOOTO lets visitors speak into horns and listen to them, too

Inside the Camden Arts Projects in London, visitors can walk among Yuri Suzuki’s interactive installation, speak into a horn, and listen to sounds from other horns. The arrangement of UTOTO at different heights allows people of different ages and heights to take part easily. Some horns are positioned near the ground level, while others are high above, requiring sound to travel vertically through the system. This vertical design gives the structure a tower-like shape that fills much of the space in the hall, or in any space it inhabits.

The connectors are designed to hold the pipes firmly while still allowing them to be taken apart for transport or reassembly, while the materials used appear to include rigid PVC for the molded horns and pipes. The artist says that UTOTO evokes the dreamy state of dozing off as well as the sacred Okinawan phrase ‘utouto’, which is used in prayer. Its design draws from utopian architectural visions, and Yuri Suzuki says that it particularly sources the interactive installation’s influences from Walt Disney’s original plan for EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow). In a similar spirit, then, UTOOTO encourages visitors to contribute building the sonic architecture, making them the co-creators of the temporary sound art inside the Camden Arts Projects.

Yuri Suzuki introduces UTOOTO, a sonic interactive installation that the viewers collectively build

the artwork is on view at the Camden Arts Projects in London between August 7th and October 5th, 2025

the structure is made up of connected sections, with the white pipes forming a network of colored horns

some horns face upward, some downward, and others face sideways

all of the pipes are joined using connector pieces, allowing the installation to have many branches

the design then uses a modular system | from here, all photos by Chris Kidall

visitors use a set of pipes, horns, and easy-to-use tools to reconfigure the pavilion-looking structure

visitors can create and change the pathways of the horns, and in return, they alter the travel and echo of the sounds

visitors can walk among the structure, speak into a horn, and listen to sounds from other horns

project info:

name: UTOOTO

artist: Yuri Suzuki | @yurisuzukilondon

location: Camden Arts Projects | @camdenarts176

address: 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT

dates: August 7th and October 5th, 2025

photography: Deniz Guzel, Chris Kidall | @deniz_gps, @kaaark

The post in yuri suzuki’s UTOOTO, viewers build the sonic interactive installation using modular horns appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Cathedral of Sound is a large-scale, wind-powered sound sculpture developed by Liam Hopkins of Lazerian as part of Manchester’s Music for the Senses art trail. Initially installed in St. Peter’s Square before being relocated to Mayfield, the work brings together sound, structure, and public participation through the reuse of musical instruments. The installation is constructed from hundreds of acoustic and electric guitars donated by residents of Manchester. These instruments, ranging from vintage to damaged and disused, are integrated into the sculpture’s framework to form a layered, architectural structure. The design draws from the logic of masonry, with guitars arranged similarly to bricks, creating a cohesive surface that reflects the varied musical history and community contributions of the city.

A steel internal framework provides structural integrity, supporting both the dense configuration of guitars and a kinetic wind-responsive system. This system includes a sculptural flag mounted at the top of the installation, which captures wind energy. As wind passes through the structure, it activates a mechanical interface that interacts with the guitars, generating acoustic sound. The movement of the flag influences tonal qualities such as pitch and rhythm, allowing the sculpture to change sonically in response to weather conditions.

all images courtesy of Lazerian

Designed by Liam Hopkins of Lazerian for Music for the Senses

The production of Cathedral of Sound involved both traditional fabrication methods and iterative design processes to accommodate the unique form and material variability of the donated instruments. The project by multidisciplinary creative studio Lazerian emphasizes material reuse, transforming objects originally designed for individual use into a collective, site-specific installation. Public participation played a central role in the development of the work through the Guitar Amnesty initiative, which invited residents to donate unused or broken guitars. Instruments in working condition were redirected to local grassroots musicians, extending the project’s engagement beyond the sculptural installation itself.

Functioning as both a sonic object and a public artwork, Cathedral of Sound offers an evolving auditory and spatial experience. Its design reflects a convergence of environmental interaction, structural reuse, and civic collaboration, contributing to Manchester’s urban landscape and cultural narrative through form, sound, and community-driven design.

a wind-powered sculpture built from donated guitars in Manchester

Cathedral of Sound combines sound, structure, and community engagement

hundreds of acoustic and electric guitars form the skin of the sculpture

each instrument reflects a personal story, forming part of a shared structure

a large flag atop the sculpture captures wind and influences the sound

the guitars are arranged like bricks, echoing traditional masonry techniques

a steel frame supports the densely layered outer shell of guitars

wind movement activates a system that allows the sculpture to play music

designed by Liam Hopkins of Lazerian for Music for the Senses

the sculpture turns disused instruments into an evolving public artwork

an installation that listens and responds to its environment

project info:

name: Cathedral of Sound

designer: Lazerian | @lazerian_studio

lead designer: Liam Hopkins 

client: Music For the Senses

location: Manchester, UK

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post wind-powered sculpture turns donated guitars into sonic art installation in manchester appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Time Warp draws design inspiration from ice caves, plant cells, and hexagons for the stage designs inside the techno music festival. An annual event since 1994, the event takes place in different cities, including Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, the founding place (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025). In an interview with designboom, Time Warp festival’s technical director Anatol Fried says that the design team wants the audience to feel fully surrounded by the stage settings and not just by the techno music. ‘It was natural for us to try to surround people with light and scenography along with the music,’ he tells designboom. There are five stages in the Time Warp techno music festival, and instead of going traditional by adding lights on the ceiling, the team spread more than 200 lights around the floor, audiences, and performers, lighting them up from all directions. ‘For us, it somehow worked,’ adds Anatol Fried.

Across the five stages, the theme of nature comes through, but Anatol Fried sees the word more as what everyone can see every day rather than just only greenery. He worked with different designers per stage inside the Time Warp techno music festival, all of which followed a fluid brief on nature. Take The Cells designed by Greg Sullivan and The LED Cells by Valentin Lüdicke and Anatol Fried. The former looks like a simplified visualization of plant cells, while the former mimics the lines and visuals of a leaf under a microscope. ‘These stage designs’ impact is the volume they add to the room. The sheer amount of surface you can play on with lights, and the contrasts you can generate with lights and shadows due to the 3D elements, is stunning. Standing underneath it, the audience can feel what I meant before about being surrounded by an experience,’ Anatol Fried shares with designboom.

The Cells | all images courtesy of Time Warp | photos by Marko Edge, unless stated otherwise

Caves and meteors as artistic influences for the spaces

Natural phenomena also appear as a theme that runs through the stage designs in the Time Warp techno music festival. Inside The Meteors, an ensemble of rock-looking fixtures hangs above the audience as they party, glistening as the hundreds of lights shine their beams on them. The Cave, designed by Valentin Lüdicke, resembles an ice cave through a series of suspended semi-translucent white cloths. ‘The idea here was to shape a room and create the perspective you have looking into an ice cave, but it also offers perspectives from positions other than the perfect angle,’ says Anatol Fried. Because of this undulating design, the stage design moves as the breeze comes in.

Valentin Lüdicke has created a second version of this space in the Time Warp techno music festival, rightfully naming it The Cave 2.0. Here, the idea has slightly changed, while still following the brief on nature. Above the audience are seemingly singular panels depicting a wavy form. When the light shines on it, the sculpture, made of a black material typically used to block out light in the agricultural industry, comes alive, appearing to move through the lights. For the technical director, it feels as if the audience were looking up in a forest and seeing the sky through trees and leaves. ‘The impact is the strong contrast between the upper lit side of the silver fabric and the pitch-black lower side that doesn’t catch any light,’ Anatol Fried explains to designboom. ‘With the huge amount of LED lights above it, it almost looks like the room moves.’

The Cells resemble a honeycomb structure

Replicating geometry, space and nature in music festival

In the other rooms within the Time Warp techno music festival, Anatol Fried has (co-)designed the spaces, from Chaos, where the style resembles patterns of strobe lights, to Strings, a wire installation he created with Valentin Lüdicke, inspired by the ideas of mathematics, geometry, even-sided triangles, and hexagons. ‘We are currently working on a design called Einheitskreis, which will hopefully come to life soon,’ the technical director shares with designboom. Instead of starting with the materials, the team leads the stage designs in the Time Warp techno music festival with an inspiration, which is nature in this case. 

That is the underlying, connecting theme between the spaces, even if they look distinctive from each other. ‘These stage designs were all inspired by some looks or details we found outside the event industry – like nature, space geometry, or mathematics – that we tried to replicate and put inside a venue. If you look up in a forest on a sunny day, you can see a strong contrast between sky and leaves. That’s basically the effect of ‘The Cave 2.0’, for example, so when we knew the look we were seeking, we started looking for a material that suited the look, instead of the other way around,’ says Anatol Fried. 

The Meteors | photo by GuilleGS

At times, designing the stages in the Time Warp techno music festival is a bit challenging, and Anatol Fried gives The Cells as an example. Here, the ceiling resembles a honeycomb structure, lighting up in patterns through the LED strips. Instead of the normal LED lights, the design team uses a series of tailored aluminum ones. The idea, as the technical director tells us, is to emit light in two directions. ‘An indirect source of light to the structure above and the direct source of light visible from below,’ he adds. ‘This was not available on the market, and therefore we produced an aluminum profile that had space for three LED light sources and also had the cord edge profile in place.’ 

This stage may be the most complex they’ve done so far since manufacturing the structure above the LED lights had to come from 700 differently shaped pieces of blackout fabric. But it was all worth it in the end because the audiences attending the Time Warp techno music festival feel the music while experiencing the performative stage designs instead of these two being separate. At the moment, visitors who want to see these spaces can first-hand experience them in Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025).

a cluster of rock-looking sculptures suspend above the audience

Optics stage design

swirling patterns sit on the ceiling in this set design

Glass Dome

the Glass Dome has transparent windows above the visitors

The Cave 2.0

the sculpture is made of a black material used to block out light in the agricultural industry

project info:

name: Time Warp | @time_warp_official

technical director: Anatol Fried 

designers: Anatol Fried, Valentin Lüdicke, Greg Sullivan | @voll_lustig_licht

upcoming dates: Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025)

photography: Marko Edge, Tyler Allix, GuilleGS | @marko_edge, @tylerallix

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Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits host an exhibition in New York City where 1930s musical dollhouses serenade the visitors. Running between June 27th and 29th on Greene Street, the show comes to life in collaboration with Shopify, a space where the electronics brand brings over a reimagined version of its OD-11 wireless speaker alongside the OB-4 mesh bags, hand-beaded ban shirts, lab coats, and the choir, which is a series of eight wooden dolls that serenade visitors with a repertoire of choral classics.

all images courtesy of Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits

Bentgablenits restores original metal miniature homes

The musical dollhouses on display at the exhibition are the original metal-made ones from the 1930s. The Canadian design collective Bentgablenits restructured, collected, and handcrafted them some years ago, so in the New York City show, the visitors see that the rooftops lift up and reveal music playing from within. These miniature homes have a clear fourth wall, like in theater sets, so people can take a look inside the interiors. There’s also a magnifying glass available on site to help visitors get a closer look at the tiny and carefully crafted interior details, including the built-in speaker as well as the overall design inside the miniature musical dollhouses.

On the outside of the musical dollhouses in the exhibition by the electronics brand Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits, round glasses with a glossy surface treasure retro images within them, and at a closer look, people find downsized versions of some of Teenage Engineering’s products, including the OB-4 wireless speaker. The edges of the Bentgablenits’ musical dollhouses are wrapped with holed metals, framing the miniature homes without taking away the detailed design of the exteriors. All of these handcrafted pieces are available to buy either at the exhibition in New York or online through the bentgablenits website, but the supplies are limited and first come, first served.

Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits host an exhibition where 1930s musical dollhouses serenade viewers

the musical dollhouses on display at the exhibition are the original metal-made ones from the 1930s

Bentgablenits restructured, collected, and handcrafted the miniature homes some years ago

visitors can lift the rooftops up and listen to the music play from within

on the outside, round glasses with a glossy surface treasure retro images within them

these miniature homes have a clear fourth wall, like in theater sets

view of the packaging for the miniature homes

objects by Teenage Engineering are also on view at the exhibition

the choir, a series of eight wooden dolls with a repertoire of choral classics

project info:

team: Teenage Engineering, Bentgablenits, Shopify | @teenageengineering, @bentgablenits, @shopify

exhibition location: Greene Street, New York City

dates: June 27th to 29th, 2025

The post bentgablenits’ musical dollhouses play sounds in NYC exhibition with teenage engineering appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Steve McQueen presents Bass (2024) at Schaulager in Basel, an immersive color and sound installation with over a thousand LED light tubes. One of the acclaimed British artist and Oscar-winning filmmaker’s most abstract works to date, the exhibition stages the light and sound that distinguishes Steve McQueen’s artistic practice. The installation was co-commissioned by the Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel, and Dia Art Foundation in New York and remains at Schaulager Basel between June 15th and November 16th, 2025. Inside the museum, light and sound congregate as deep bass frequencies resound through the space, transitioning to and from loud and soft reverbs as individual notes or melodies. The interior is bathed in Steve McQueen’s Bass, a series of colored light tubes that change slowly, from deep red to ultraviolet, covering the entire spectrum visible to the human eye. 

In the vast interior of Schaulager Basel, over a thousand LED light tubes are temporarily installed in the architecture’s ceiling, spanning across the building’s five levels, including the soaring atrium. A column of subwoofers and speakers is suspended in the air in the middle of the installation, and from here, the bass frequencies travel through, shifting slowly alongside the deep hues of colored light tubes. ‘What I love about light and sound is that they are both created through movement and fluidity. They can be molded into any shape, like vapor or a scent; they can sneak into every nook and cranny. I also love the beginning point where something isn’t a form as much as it is all-encompassing,’ says the British artist and filmmaker.

Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024, LED Light and Sound, courtesy the artist, co-commissioned work by Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel, and Dia Art Foundation, Schaulager® Münchenstein/Basel (Installation view) | all images courtesy of Schaulager Basel, photos by Pati Grabowicz, © Steve McQueen

Basslines inspired by the cycle of colored light

In 2022, the Laurenz Foundation and the Dia Art Foundation invited Steve McQueen to design a project that would first be shown in New York and then at Schaulager Basel. When the artist walked into the cavern-like, lower-level space at Dia Beacon, he decided he would work with light and sound instead of a film, resonating with the cellar-like space devoid of daylight. He felt that it was destined to accommodate an immersive work where the installation would interact with the architecture. ‘There is a commonality in the bass, the vibration, the reverb, and the tone. It seems like a calling, an interplay, a form of communication between scattered people. For me it was a way of bringing a diaspora back together,’ says Steve McQueen. From here, Bass took shape.

The starting point is the basslines. The artist worked with the renowned bassist Marcus Miller, who in turn involved four other musicians, to create the composition of Bass. The intergenerational group from the Black diaspora met at Dia Beacon in January 2024 and started improvising, inspired by the cycle of colored light that was already installed. The recording of the musicians’ session became the score of Bass, heard through speakers placed throughout the exhibition space at Schaulager Basel. In this score, the clarity of Marcus Miller’s jazz bass intertwines with the plucking and bowing sounds created by Laura-Simone Martin and her acoustic upright bass. Mamadou Kouyaté’s bright, driving rhythms on the traditional bass ngoni are joined by the deep droning sounds of Aston Barrett Jr.’s barely plucked electric bass, while the same instrument in Meshell Ndegeocello’s hands produces sonical textures.

Steve McQueen presents Bass at Schaulager in Basel, a light, color, and sound installation

expansive oceanic frequencies lasting around three hours

Music and sound have been a consistent theme throughout Steve McQueen’s works. Many of his award-winning films feature soundtracks that transform the visual experience into something multi-sensory and physical. This effect filters through the artist’s masterful use of light and color, too. At Schaulager Basel, Bass presents an immediate, dynamic interplay between light, color, and sounds, slowly deconstructing our perceptions of time and space. The feeling resembles being submerged in a sonic ocean, where visitors are enveloped by bass frequencies, deep currents, and intense hues. These expansive oceanic frequencies, lasting around three hours, are woven together with the entire color spectrum, presented in a roughly thirty-minute cycle.

‘Bass could travel anywhere because it’s about light and sound. It could be an amalgamate, it can morph in any space because it’s about light and sound anywhere,’ says Steve McQueen. The colored light appears mythical and transient, despite the slow progression of the transition. Even so, the effect is immediate and physical, drawing sensations of warmth and cold, expansion and contraction. This fluidity continues; Steve McQueen’s sound, light, and color installation at Schaulager Basel has no clear beginning or end, no specific viewpoint or focal point. Instead, visitors find their own sense of orientation and place within the experience. Steve McQueen’s installation Bass is present at Schaulager Basel in time for Art Basel Week 2025, between June 15th and November 16th.

the installation was co-commissioned by the Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel, and Dia Art Foundation

inside the museum, light and sound congregate as deep bass frequencies resound through the space

a column of subwoofers and speakers is suspended in the air in the middle of the installation

the bass frequencies travel through, shifting slowly alongside the deep hues of colored light tubes

in the vast interior of Schaulager Basel, over a thousand light tubes are temporarily installed

the light tubes span across the building’s five levels, including the soaring atrium

Bass presents an immediate, dynamic interplay between light, color, and sounds

the expansive oceanic frequencies, lasting around three hours, are woven together with the entire color spectrum

the installation remains on site until November 16th, 2025

project info:

installation: Bass, 2024

artist: Steve McQueen | @stevemcqueen

commission: Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel, Dia Art Foundation | @schaulagerbasel, @diaartfoundation

location: Ruchfeldstrasse 19, 4142 Münchenstein, Switzerland

dates: June 15th and November 16th, 2025

photography: Pati Grabowicz | @patigrabowicz

music

concept, producer, and arranger: Steve McQueen

bandleader, producer, and arranger: Marcus Miller

composed and performed by: Steve McQueen, conductor; Marcus Miller, electric bass; Meshell Ndegeocello, electric bass; Aston Barrett Jr., electric bass; Mamadou Kouyaté, bass ngoni; Laura-Simone Martin, upright bass

recording and sound design: Paolo Brandi

recording assistant: Jonny Taylor

video technician and artist assistant: Sue MacDiarmid

bass at schaulager

senior curator: Heidi Naef

planning and installation: Yvo Hartmann

art education: Andreas Blättler

publications: Isabel Friedli, Elsa Himmer

conservation: Marcus Broecker

development: Donna De Salvo

curatorial assistant: Emily Markert

manager of exhibition technology: Randy Gibson

The post steve mcqueen brings immersive light, color and sound installation to schaulager basel appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sónar+D addresses the use of quantum science in art, making music with AI, experimental video games in performances, and what the future looks like in the creative industries in a series of talks at Sónar 2025. The event runs from June 12th to 14th, 2025, at Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual electronic music and digital art festival. On these days, over 100 lectures, exhibitions, workshops, and performances take place at once. designboom also hosts discussions during the festival, interviewing artists Yolanda Uriz, Dmitry Morozov aka ::vtol::, and George Moraitis on their practice and the making of their modern art, sound performances, and stage designs.

Yolanda Uriz uses physical phenomena, vibration, electromagnetic waves, and chemical molecules to decode sound, light, and smells in her installations and performances. This adoption of sound is also present in Dmitry Morozov aka ::vtol::’s robotics and installation, placing emphasis on the link between emergent systems and new kinds of technological synthesis. Even George Moraitis works with sound to narrate memory, experience, and a sense of history through sound art, audiovisual installations, and two-dimensional works and performance. Designboom’s talks take place on June 12th from 5:30pm. Historically, Sónar+D was established in 2013 as a platform for creatives to examine the ways technology, and now AI, influences art, music, and even society. This edition’s conferences focus on three main thematic areas: AI + Creativity, Futuring the Creative Industries, and Worlds to Come.

Meet us at Sónar+D – tickets here!

images courtesy of Sónar, unless stated otherwise | photo by Cecilia Diaz Betz

AI + Creativity explores the politics of the new technology

For the AI + Creativity during Sónar+D (tickets are available here), the section explores how creatives can use AI production, music, and audiovisual design. The talks also dive into the ethical and political aspects of artificial intelligence. They complement the other creative interviews in other sections, including designboom’s conversations with multi-sensory artist Yolanda Uriz, transdisciplinary artist Dmitry Morozov aka ::vtol::, and multimedia artist George Moraitis. The discussion starts with Introducing AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS, a forum that leads the discussion of AI and sonic creativity. In another room, Libby Heaney performs Eat my Multiverse performance using quantum computing for visuals, sounds, and music development. Jordi Pons’ Artistic Trends, Music & AI discusses new musical genres and sonic structures from AI algorithms, while Rebecca Fiebrink hosts Design your dream music AI tool, a session on AI tool design accessible to users without programming knowledge. 

Joanne Armitage’s Automating Bodies: Power, Music and AI explores the power dynamics when users adopt AI for creative production. The talk includes examining gender bias in algorithmic music, too. It’s about machine learning and treating it as ‘resonant entities’ in Marije Baalman’s A Musical Understanding of AI as Resonance, while there’s also a masterclass on using real-time audio machine learning for culturally specific sound with Lamtharn (Hanoi) Hantrakul, known as ญาบอยฮานอย (yaboihanoi). The viewers can, or should participate in AI Performance Playground, an AI & Music Hacklab that allows visitors to use AI as an actual instrument. In this section, +RAIN Film Festival also shows films produced with AI models and AudioStellar’s Territorios sonoros emergentes demonstrates how motion tracking and AI can power dance for visual and sonic performances. At the same time, Maria Arna premieres Ama, a live musical performance using AI with the human voice.

Sónar+D addresses the impact of AI in music, art and more through a series of talks during Sónar 2025

Discussions on present and future of creative industries

Inside the Futuring the Creative Industries section, conversations spotlight the changes and opportunities within the creative sector amidst new technologies including, but not limited to, AI in music and art, cultural management, communication, advertising, experience design, and trend research. The ‘How to Future the Creative Industries’ forum features experts from institutions like the New Museum, HERVISIONS, Onassis Foundation, Serpentine Gallery, NewArt Foundation, LAS Foundation, Kapelica, gnration, and Tabakalera.

The session explores the role of cultural institutions in sharing new ideas and trends within a media-saturated environment. Trend analysts Berta Segura and Francesca Tur host ‘Hacking the World,’ which analyzes how marketing, geopolitics, technology, and digital culture transform creator profiles, audience formation, and artist-public interaction. The intersection of cultural heritage and digital technology is explored through ‘Lux Mundi,’ an audiovisual experience reinterpreting Romanesque fresco paintings. Artists Alba G. Corral, Massó, Desilence, and Hamill Industries collaborate with Tarta Relena for this Generalitat of Catalonia initiative.

the event runs from June 12th to 14th, 2025, at Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona | photo by Nerea Coll

Still inside the Futuring the Creative Industries section, creative collaboration and technology integration are also central. TIMES, a European network, presents ‘The Crossing’ with contributions from Margarida Mendes, Chris Watson & Izabella Dłużyk, and Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori. Arts Korea Lab hosts ‘Future Thinking,’ where Korean creators like WOMAN OPEN TECH LAB, Earth-topia, Seungsoon Park, Hwia Kim, and Tae Eun Kim present their projects. AlphaTheta showcases its euphonia rotary mixer and virtual reality DJ suite. Music2.0 and JSPA explore the history of Japanese synthesizers.

MusicTech Europe, in collaboration with Barcelona Music Tech Hub, features the Music Tech Europe Academy startup presentations and ‘MusicTech Dialogues’ on data use in the creative economy. The event also includes interviews with artists and participants. Designboom interviews Yolanda Uriz, Dmitry Morozov aka ::vtol::, and George Moraitis in Lounge+D, and Time Out London also hosts live interviews. W1 Curates presents art and music collaborations on the screens of Stage+D, featuring artists such as Max Cooper and Goldie.

Actress & Suzanne Ciani present ‘Concrète Waves’ during Sónar by Day at Stage Complex+D

The last is the Worlds to Come, a thematic area that explores speculative futures and human-technology interfaces. It examines the relationship of today’s technology with culture and society. Quantum computing and non-binary perspectives are examined in Libby Heaney’s ‘Eat My Multiverse’, which uses quantum computing in an artistic context. This presentation focuses on re-evaluating current global conditions. Space exploration is a recurring theme. Xin Liu’s ‘Cosmic Metabolism’ discusses scientific and poetic elements of her work, including her personal genome exhibit, ‘A Book Of Mine’. The program also investigates human interaction with technology and environment. Albert.DATA’s ‘SYNAPTICON’ performance demonstrates real-time brain activity using brain-computer interfaces. 

Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley’s ‘WE CAN’T PRETEND ANYMORE’ offers an interactive digital narrative exploring the history of Black trans individuals. Tega Brain’s ‘Questions of Automation’ addresses digital sustainability through creative coding and DIY strategies, highlighting political and environmental concerns. Discussions extend to social innovation and community building. ‘Portals: Talks of Worlds to Come’, presented by The Social Hub, features a panel of experts discussing design, sustainability, and cultural innovation in shared spaces. The program also includes performances, such as Luis Garbán (Cardopusher) with ‘DESTRUCCIÓN’, an audiovisual project combining reggaeton, industrial, and breakcore. Each of these talks and forums contributes to the overall purpose of Sónar+D, which is to create a space for knowledge exchange between different professional fields. These programs coincide with the Sónar 2025 festival, which runs between June 12th and 14th.

Stage+D by MEDIAPRO, Playmodes, UPC-Telecos present Astres | photo by Nerea Coll

Lux Mundi installation by by Alba G.Corral, Massó, Desilence & Hamill Industries with Tarta Relena at Sónar+D

Sónar+D shows a replica of the apse of Sant Climent de Taüll to host Lux Mundi

Yolanda Uriz’s Chemical Calls of Care | image courtesy of Yolanda Uriz

Chemical Calls of Care (2024), an installation on audio-olfactory communication | image courtesy of Yolanda Uriz

Edge is a kinetic, sound and light object | image courtesy of ::vtol::

iPot is a device for performing a digital tea ceremony | image courtesy of ::vtol::

Schematic by George Moraitis | image courtesy of George Moraitis

Xe by George Moraitis | image courtesy of George Moraitis

project info:

event: Sónar 2025 | @sonarfestival

program: Sónar+D

location: Palau de Congressos de Fira Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain

dates: June 12th to 14th, 2025

photography: Cecilia Diaz Betz, Nerea Coll | @ceciliadiazbetz, @nereacoll

entry: tickets here

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