Crystal Blue Sensation
Experience the ocean at Sketches for Sensorium
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Imagine being entirely immersed in the ocean and not getting wet. It’s possible, thanks to the AlloSphere Research Facility at University of California, Santa Barbara’s NanoSystems Institute, a virtual reality space housed inside a heavily insulated three-story sphere. It is one of the largest echo-less chambers in the world, with 26 video projectors and a whopping 54.1 channels of sound.
SKETCHES FOR SENSORIUM, an installation incorporating immersive audiovisual scientific climate and ocean data, is on view as part of the PST Art: Art and Science Collide initiative. The installation honors the legacy of environmental artist Newton Harrison, a founder of the eco-art movement, and his long-term project, Sensorium for the World Ocean.
Says JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, AlloSphere’s director and a professor of media arts and technology, “Through interactive, immersive visualization and sonification of these complex systems, we may discover the most intelligent and wise directions to pursue for a healthier, united world.” allosphere.ucsb.edu
