See the world from a new perspective.
Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature illuminates the hidden forces surrounding us, revealing the sublime through sensory journeys beyond our everyday perception. From the roots of a majestic Amazonian tree to the unseen branches of the body and the birth of galaxies, this hypnotic, immersive experience explores the rhythm that cultivates and connects all life – breath.
This world premiere exhibition features major digital artworks on a grand, awe-inspiring scale plus evocative works on paper from London-based collective Marshmallow Laser Feast. Through guided meditation, large-scale video works and interactive experiences, visitors evolve from droplets of water to plants, cells and stars, becoming part of the cycle of life and the cosmos.
Using creative technology to deepen our understanding of, and connection to, the world around us, Marshmallow Laser Feast reminds us that we are just one species in a shared ecosystem and asks, what can we learn from nature to prepare for the future?
This world premiere, monograph exhibition includes artworks executive produced by the late Edward R. Pressman and filmmaker Terrence Malick; and collaborations featuring narration by executive producer Cate Blanchett; poetry by Daisy Lafarge; and music by Jon Hopkins, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Meredith Monk, Howard Skempton and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
An ACMI Touring exhibition, curated by Chelsey O’Brien in collaboration with Marshmallow Laser Feast.
Touring late 2024 onwards
Curious? Email us: touringinfo@acmi.net.au
Fast Facts
- Created by ACMI.
- Includes large-scale major video works, a guided meditation and evocative 2D artworks.
- Size 1,000 square meters (10,000 square feet).
- Presented across 11 immersive sections:
- Works of Nature Introduction: video installation of breath.
- Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest: large-scale video installation of an ancient Amazonian kapok tree.
- Evolver: 4x artworks comprising a series of large-scale video installations, a guided meditation and optional VR work.
- The Tides Within Us: 6x artworks revealing the flow of oxygen through the branching ecosystem of the human body.
- The Scale of Things: 5x video installations providing insight into the science of blackholes and the cosmos.
- Distortions in Space Time: large-scale immersive, interactive experience allowing visitors to journey through space to the edge of a black hole.
- We Live in an Ocean of Air: video installation revealing the invisible connection between plants and people.
- Science behind the Sublime: behind-the-scenes digital and 2D works exploring MLF’s process and practice.
- Digital content provided as ready to play files on ACMI supplied playback equipment and software.
Tour Schedule
To be announced soon.
In the press
The Age
16 November 2023
Cry, struggle for words or simply feel alive in ACMI’s visual feast.
– Rob Harris
The Guardian
7 December 2023
‘With Cate Blanchett in my ears, I become an insect on the wing’ – our writer merges with a rainforest.
– Stuart Jeffries
ArtsHub
23 November 2023
A trippy excursion into a world of swirling pixels has profound intent.
– Madeleine Swan
Artlink
21 February 2024
"A positive use of digital media to impact humanity’s thinking towards a liveable future, achieved by evoking a sense of emotional connection and kinship."
– Alison Bennett
The Australian
23 March 2024
A meditation on cosmic order – A London-based collective's video animations awaken viewers to the act breathing and our existence with nature.
– Christopher Allen
Landscape Architecture
26 March 2024
An exhibition of the works of London-based art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast demonstrates how digital technology can be used to create experiences that highlight how humans, other species and the environments we live in are all inextricably entangled.
– Alice Lewis
More resources
Works of Nature science learning resource
Developed by ACMI's Education team, this learning resource suggests simple prompts, activities and other resources to support each major artwork in the exhibition.
Hear from the artists and ACMI staff who brought the exhibition to life
How Works of Nature was made
From conception to opening, the process of putting together this awe-inspiring exhibition involved close collaboration between the creative folks at Marshmallow Laser Feast and the highly skilled crew at ACMI.
Why do we love immersive experiences?
From standing in front of a majestic Sequoia tree to being inside St Paul’s Cathedral to being in the circles of Stongehenge, humans love to be immersed in experiences – but why?
A 2-minute meditation
Close your eyes. Breathe. Relax. Ersin Han Ersin (artist and director, Marshmallow Laser Feast) guides you through a simple meditation exercise.
Soundscapes
Recordings from Works of Nature
Recorded by Marshmallow Laser Feast, this audio collection features musings by Dr Stephan Harding, Professor Katie J Field, Dr David Abram and Dr Merlin Sheldrake on nature, life and the more-than-human world. We've recut their recordings into four thematic meditative soundscapes, featuring all of the scientists in dialogue on four fascinating subjects: death, breath, collectivity and care.
More Stories & Ideas
About Marshmallow Laser Feast
Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) are a London-based art collective led by artists and directors Robin McNicholas, Ersin Han Ersin and Barnaby Steel who work at the intersection of science, art and technology – employing a wealth of creative disciplines, from installation to kinetic sculpture, film to live performance.
MLF’s work invites participants into a sensory journey that reinterprets the idea of human perception and experiences beyond our everyday reality. MLF’s approach is one of collaboration with artists, engineers and scientists, building bespoke software and hardware systems to realise their visions.
MLF’s work has been exhibited in the UK and internationally, including at the Saatchi Gallery, NXT Museum, Lisbon Triennial, Istanbul Design Biennial, the Sundance Film Festival, and the V&A and Design Museum, London.