A Different Way of Sensing the World : Live Art and Synesthesia

Synesthesia can be defined as the cross wiring of the senses where the stimulation of one sense triggers the stimulation of another sense. According to leading scientific researchers all of us are synesthetic, but most of us are unconscious about the sensory fusions in our brain. Through live art practice this study aims to bring an awareness of the senses and sensory fusion to the viewer. Synesthesia has been previously explored in the arts through music, poetry and painting but there is little evidence of synesthesia research through live art practice. Live art has the ability to reveal synesthetic characteristics of perception and can offer new ways of experiencing a stimulation of the senses. The methodological approach to this research is qualitative in nature, utilising interpretive research methodologies and methods. Practice as research is the chosen research method, as it combines creative and reflective practice with interpretative interactions. The findings of this research project will be considered within a phenomenological framework as phenomenology’s main concern is with the lived experience. This research project aims to address the following research question: what sensorial stimuli can be used to evoke a perceptual experience in live art performance, and in what ways can live art contribute to existing research in synesthesia through this exploration? This research project can offer an alternative to the scientific experiments in synesthesia and may enrich and compliment previous studies and open new directions for further research.