Chromasonic: Satellite One (Capsule Review)

[Original publication: No Proscenium, 6/15/21]

I have never experienced anything quite like Chromasonic’s Satellite One. For fans of light artist James Turrell and his “Ganzfeld” installations, this immersive color and sound bath is a must. Both a communal and individual act, groups of eight participants are led into a white egg-shaped chamber with a central neon column. During a 30-minute composition, participants may enter into a visceral and meditative state.

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Rather than an out-of-body experience, I found it to be a profoundly inner-body experience. Sensory input became heightened and blurred in surreal or even hallucinatory ways. At the same time, I felt grounded and deeply in tune with myself. Turrell employs the German word “ganzfeld” for his installations because it describes the sensation of a “total loss of depth perception.” With the addition of sound, Satellite One takes this a step further, resulting in a total gain of self-perception; it’s a full-body, vibrational event.

This couldn’t be more perfectly timed. Although the project’s inception was pre-pandemic, the intention was always to achieve “radical presence” through which participants would reconnect with themselves. After more than a year of isolation and digital entrenchment, this physical, sensory-driven installation is the perfect antidote.

Multimedia artist Johannes Girardoni and sound artists Joel Shearer and Orpheo McCord comprise the three founders of Chromasonic, which serves as a collaborative art studio and research lab. By exploring the intersections of art, science, and technology, a key goal is to investigate “the potential of art as a catalyst to harmonize cognitive and somatic states.” Located in Venice, Satellite One is a permanent installation and future plans include evolving programming.

Satellite One is a soulful experience. Los Angelenos (and anyone visiting LA), grab your tickets immediately if not sooner.

(Accessibility: Although there’s no strobing, epileptics can reach out to the Chromasonic team with questions or concerns. Those with mobility devices can experience Satellite One’s program in a half-ellipsoid at the same address.)