sensory bloom - concept - 2026
Radici is the first of three concepts developed for the 2026 edition of polifonic festival in puglia.
it is a site-specific installation designed to bring the natural environment of Puglia to life. Using the olive tree, an undeniable symbol of regional identity, the project maps the intricate geometry of the bark from roots to leaves with light. It visualises the tree as a conductor of energy, bridging the gap between ancient nature and modern technology.
The Bloom is expressed through a synesthetic expansion of sound into light. As the music from the nearby stage swells, the trees blossom in intensity and colour. This creates a multi-sensory environment where the audience doesn't just hear the music but sees it flowing through the veins of the landscape.
The interaction is ambient and immersive. The light responds in real-time to the frequency and amplitude of the closest music stage. Visitors walking through the grove find themselves inside a living pulse, where the rhythm of the event is physically mapped onto the silhouettes of the trees, making the audience feel part of a singular, breathing ecosystem.
The system uses A high-density mapping of pixel-controllable LED strips, and a Sound-to-Light (S2L) interface that analyses live audio feeds to trigger complex lighting patterns across the tree’s surface.
sensory bloom
01_radici
cloudy sky
clear sky
sensory bloom
02_chromatica
daytime view
nighttime view
the second installation, Chromatica, reimagines the portal as a kinetic experience. The faceted geometry is designed to mimic crystalline growth, with each panel acting as a complex reflector. The goal is to blend architectural form with reactive light, turning a physical arch into a vessel for temporal energy.
The sensory Bloom here is constant but evolving. During the day, it is a Physical Bloom of colour and reflection: the iridescent and dichroic surfaces act as passive prisms, catching the Mediterranean sun and throwing rainbows onto the sand and the skin of passersby. at night, the structure internalises its energy, turning the physical facets into a digital bloom of light and motion.
Audience Interaction is Presence-Triggered. during the day, People interact with the reflections, using the arch as a photographic frame that changes colour depending on their viewing angle. at Night, Sensors track movement, causing the LED arches to pulse and chase the visitor through the tunnel, creating a personalised light path.
sensory bloom
03_cliffhangers
daytime view
nighttime view
The third installation, CLIFF HANGERS, utilises the coastal environment as a foundational element. Translucent fabrics are suspended from tension cables, creating a canopy that catches the sea breeze. The artistic intent is to visualise the movement of sound and wind. The visual language moves from a passive gradient during the day to an active iridescent projection surface at night.
The Bloom is both spatial and synesthetic. It is a visual expansion where the sky, the fabrics, and the crowd merge into one moving, glowing organism. Projections of intricate, natural, fractal-like patterns and colours blossom across the drapes, visualising the expansive nature of the audio experience.
The interaction is Ambient and Responsive. The projected visuals are not random; they are a direct visual translation of the music from the adjacent Performance stage. Visitors will feel enveloped within the performance, as the complex projected patterns and colours map onto their bodies and clothes, making the entire crowd a moving, breathing canvas.
the installation features A large-scale overhead tensioned cable structure supporting cascading, translucent fabric drapes, complete with a powerful projection mapping system and specialised peripheral lighting.
sunset to night
night to sunrise