Google will make sounds visible for Design Week 2024

In a captivating fusion of technology, art, and sensory exploration, the new initiative promoted by Google Design Studio in collaboration with Chromasonic, named Making Sense of Color, emerges as an innovative project, a futuristic laboratory of art and technological research. This visionary project, which will make its debut at Salone del Mobile Milano, goes beyond traditional design exhibitions, offering visitors an immersive journey that delves into the sensory qualities of color. Making Sense of Color unfolds as a multispace installation housed within the spaces of Garage 21. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are enveloped by Chromasonic's luminous and sonorous atmospheres, where translucent sails create a hypnotic interplay of shapes and colors. Guided by spatialized sound and illuminated by shifting hues, guests embark on a journey that blurs the boundaries between the auditory and visual realms. As visitors move through the installation, they traverse a series of spaces, each dedicated to exploring the sensory qualities of a specific color. From the tranquil serenity of sapphire blue to the fiery intensity of crimson red, the exhibition showcases a wide variety of emotions and perceptions. Through Chromasonic's innovative Refrequencing technology, sound frequencies are translated into light making sounds visible and colors musical, creating a profound synesthetic bond between mind, body, and environment.

Image credits: Chromasonic

The common idea behind Making Sense of Color was to represent the symbiotic relationship between art and science, combining cutting-edge technology with the most basic components of every visual art, namely colors. The installation was conceived by Google Design Studio, led by the visionary Vice President of Hardware Design, Ivy Ross, whose illustrious career spans prestigious brands such as Calvin Klein, Swatch, and Mattel and who has translated her vast experience and expertise into the creation of a series of tech products, such as smartphones and speakers, which have earned Google Design Studio over 250 design awards in recent years for their tactile elegance and emotional resonance. Collaborating with Ross and her team is Chromasonic, an avant-garde arts and research lab founded by multi-media artists Johannes Girardoni and Harriet Girardoni, alongside sound artists and composers Orpheo McCord and Joel Shearer, specializing in the creation and study of immersive environments and synesthetic experiences. Through the neuroscientific research it conducts, Chromasonic explores the emotional, cognitive, and physiological effects of its revolutionary Refrequencing technology, to promote holistic well-being on a global scale.

Image credits: Chromasonic

Beyond mere entertainment, Making Sense of Color serves as a testament to the transformative power of color in shaping our experiences of the world and opening a new frontier of sensory exploration and artistic expression. By harnessing the immersive potential of light, sound, and color, the exhibition aims to engage viewers' senses on a deeper level, blurring the boundaries between sensory modalities and offering synesthetic experiences that inspire expanded states of awareness and connection. This collaboration between Google Design Studio and Chromasonic aims to both highlight the company's commitment to innovative and thoughtful design practices and offer a unique opportunity to showcase how color influences Google's latest hardware design, highlighting its importance in creating impactful user experiences. In a world where technology often dominates our senses, Making Sense of Color aims to remind the audience of the power of art to inspire, captivate, and transform.