Artistic Exploration of Synesthesia

Abstract

This thesis investigates synesthesia as both a neurological condition and a broader sensory perception shaped by culture, cognition, and creative practice. Although not a synesthete in the medical definition of the condition, I explore how sensory overlaps particularly between sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell can be simulated and explored through art. Through historical research, theoretical analysis, and personal experimentation, I examine synesthesia as a potential extension of universal perceptual pathways rather than an isolated anomaly. Drawing from semiotic theories by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce, the project considers how meaning is made through sensory signification and how these processes are culturally and personally constructed. Important influences to the project include artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, and contemporary figures like Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams, who exemplify the power of cross-sensory creativity. The culminating project is an immersive synesthesia simulator: an interactive installation that uses sound-reactive visuals in Touch Designer, textured projection surfaces, essential oils, sensory music, and flavored elements to create a fully embodied sensory experience. This work challenges viewers to reconsider the boundaries of perception, particularly in art and design, proposing that synesthetic experiences may lie dormant within us all, awaiting activation through immersive, multi-sensory art