Sensorium is an experiential studio working at the intersection of art, commerce, and technology. We focus on original content and interactive design that push the boundaries of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other new media activations. When not producing content for a wide range of clients and exhibitions, we dive into independent documentary projects in cooperation with the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism, Cyborg Foundation, and Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.

Sensorium Works began producing virtual reality experiences while investigating sustainable development practices in India and Brazil as fellows of the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST). After delving deeper into the medium, we began building custom camera systems to shoot branded experiences, as well as a special Midnight Moment performance by Laurie Anderson for Times Square Arts. Since then we developed a full virtual reality pipeline that includes everything from conceptualization, shooting, stitching, visual effects, to delivery. We also offer post-production and other editing services for marketing and promotional content. Sensorium is open to building any partnership that pushes the boundaries of experiential design through virtual reality, especially in the performing arts.

These are some current longterm projects:

Cyborg Futures, an interactive performance and exhibition platform produced in collaboration with the Cyborg Foundation, introduces audiences to the potential of expanded perceptual realms through the art of Neil Harbisson, Moon Ribas, and other cyborg practitioners who are reimagining the creative applications of cybernetics. Understanding the inner workings of the mind and how to interface them with computers is quickly becoming a reality. Such use of cybernetics and sensory augmentation is opening a massive spectrum of new possibilities for artistic practices that confound both a sense of self and the outside world. These technologies will continue to deliver increasingly immersive multimedia experiences and advanced brain computer interfaces. Cyborg Futures introduces the possibilities of expanded bodily and mental dispositions that allow for new forms of communication, exploration, and expression.

“Kapital Creation: Chasing the Chinese Dream” is the first feature documentary by Sensorium Works. Set within the largest infrastructure buildout in the history of mankind, it examines the urban explosion of Beijing through the eyes of creative communities. The capital of China is setting a dire precedent for the rest of the country as development continues to come at the expense of cultural heritage, natural resources, and quality of life. The project engages artists, musicians, architects, and writers who see the need for a different future, and why this is absolutely critical not only for China, but also the rest of the world.

The Megacity Initiative delves into how this century belongs to the city. An additional 2.7 billion people are anticipated to live in metropolitan regions around the world by 2050 and the ecological fate of the planet is bound to their lives. The Megacity Initiative is a new media venture that seeks to illuminate this process of urbanization through films, exhibitions, journalism, and a mobile platform allowing people to respond to and potentially participate in city planning. Urgent challenges are facing developing metropolitan regions around the world, and they need new ways to champion sustainable development, social equity, and more accountable municipal governance. Research is conducted with the support of the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism, Columbia University’s Studio-X, and the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.