Our mixed-media exhibition explored the role of multi-sensory design within a gallery context. By extending the subject matter of the artwork into the surrounding environment, it asks whether sensory elements can elevate the art itself and deepen our connection. The result was a true success, and brought the essence of the work vividly to life.

The artistic focus was a collection of Acid House paintings by Adam Mellor, that explore the heady intensity of UK acid house culture in the late 1980s – 1990s. The works capture on canvas the energy of the dance floor, the bodies, the movement, the communion, and the charged atmosphere.

Alongside the paintings, reimagined and hand-painted flyers nod to the DIY spirit that defined the era. They pay homage to the raw graphic language, urgency and optimism of the time, reinterpreting its aesthetic through a painterly lens.

Hosted at The Sensory Lab, the exhibition expanded beyond painting into sound, visuals, light and scent. The sensory atmosphere was used to bring the story of the artwork to life, and evoke a heightened emotional response to the paintings.

A standout of the evening was our use of AI to animate one of the paintings, projecting the motion directly over the original artwork; a world first to our knowledge. A bridge between physical and digital; oil painting and AI generation. The two exist together as one piece of mixed media art. We will be exploring this new medium more in the future.