A sculptural, light and sound–based enquiry into perception, space and states of awareness.
THRESHOLD
Research & Development
PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN TO A BACKGROUND SOUND 'SKETCH',
THEN CONTINUE SCROLLING DOWN!
FEATURING FIELD RECORDED NATURE SOUNDS, CHIMES, BOWLS & A CREATED DRONE PAD
KEY DETAILS
18 May 2026 – 19 Feb 2027
Studio led, with structured public tests in multiple UK settings.
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R & D OUTCOMES
Studies in form, light/shadow, spatial sound and embedded viewpoints; documentation (image/film/sound); and a written/visual proposal package for the next phase.
OVERVIEW
THRESHOLD is a research and development project exploring how sculpture, light, sound and perspective can create a shared moment of transition in how audiences perceive space and themselves. It centres on a sculptural installation that acts as both physical presence and perceptual lens, shaping how a space is seen, felt and remembered. Through material and light exploration and public tests in different contexts, I will build the conceptual and material grounding for a future immersive installation.
RENDERED INITIAL REFERENCES OF A BIOMORPHIC SCULPTURE & PARTICIPANTS IN LIGHT REFRACTIVE INSTALLATION
APPROACH
The aim of this project is not to complete a final public artwork, but to establish a clear conceptual and material framework for one. To achieve this, I will explore form through drawing and modelling, and test materials and internal structures to understand how they hold, distort and transmit light. I will carry out lighting studies on and around the form, then develop sound studies to explore how vibrational sound can deepen focus and emotional response, creating a sonic environment that is felt as well as heard. I will also test embedded viewpoints within the sculpture and recorded or live-view options, focusing on alternative perspectives that reframe the space in ways that feel reflective rather than invasive.
A central strand of the research is learning how the work is experienced across different sensory perspectives and ages. This includes structured sessions with Deaf participants and blind or partially sighted participants to understand how attention and spatial understanding shift when sound or vision is experienced differently, alongside tests with younger and older groups to explore how navigation, pacing and sensory tolerance change across life stages. These insights will sharpen how the work holds attention and guides people through the threshold experience.
By the end of the R and D period I expect to have material samples with light and shadow studies, scale models exploring possible sculptural forms, documented sonic experimentation and initial tests around alternative viewpoints. Together these will form the foundation for a future public installation. Documentation and reflection will run throughout so each stage informs the next and supports future sharing.
R & D FOCUS
I am interested in how one structure and its surrounding environment can generate multiple views of the same moment, and how this can invite people to cross a threshold from everyday perception into a more attentive, reflective state. This enquiry includes embedded viewpoints within the sculpture, exploring how alternative perspectives can reframe the space in ways that feel poetic rather than surveillant. All camera testing will be consent-led and clearly communicated.
WHY?
I am developing this work now because it brings together strands of my practice I have not yet explored in a fully coherent way. My work has long been concerned with ephemerality, states of matter, vibration, consciousness and the blurred line between reality and imagination, but these threads have largely existed in separate projects. THRESHOLD offers a focused period of research and development in which to draw these strands together and test how they can operate within a single immersive installation.
THRESHOLD
Research & Development Strands
PREVIOUS TESTS, COLLAGE & DRAWINGS OF EPHEMERAL SHAPES
FORM & MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS
Exploring sculptural form through drawing, collage, three dimensional studies and maquettes. Testing organic and geological references, surface treatments and internal structures to understand how the form holds, distorts and transmits light, and how it shifts perception at close range.
LIGHT, SHADOW & REFRACTION
Experimenting with internal light sources, mirrors and reflective or refractive materials to understand how light can be cast, held and scattered through space. Studying how movement, angle and distance affect the behaviour of light and shadow on and around the form.
PREVIOUS WORK: MOVING LIGHT TRAVELLING AROUND SCULPTURE
WINTER FIELD RECORDING NATURE, SIBLINI MOUNTAINS ITALY 2025
SOUNDS & VIBRATIONAL ENQUIRY
Developing sonic sketches that use vibrational sound to support focus, reflection and shifts in awareness. Testing how sound can move through space and interact with light and form, working towards a quadrophonic sound environment designed to be felt as much as heard.
PERSPECTIVE &
EMBEDDED VIEWPOINTS
Researching camera placement, viewpoints and timings that can offer alternative readings of the same environment. Early tests will explore how embedded viewpoints might later be used to reveal multiple cinematic perspectives without feeling invasive.
REFERENCES OF PARTICIPANTS IN LIGHT REFRACTIVE INSTALLATION
CONCEPT
The core idea is to use a single sculptural object as the anchor for an immersive environment. Light will emanate from within the form and interact with mirrors and reflective surfaces to cast shifting patterns through a darkened space, so that people move through the work rather than simply view it. The installation will shift between darkness, moving light, sound and silence, playing with sensory focus and inviting audiences into a reflective state.
DOCUMENTATION & REFLECTION
Ongoing documentation through photography, moving image, sound recordings (including field recordings), and written reflection. Regular review points will track what is working, what needs adjusting, and what questions are emerging, ensuring learning feeds directly into the evolving concept.
PUBLIC TESTING,
ACCESS & CONSENT
THRESHOLD is an R&D project, so the public-facing activity during the grant period will take the form of small, structured test sessions rather than open public events. These sessions gather feedback that directly informs how the work develops and how it could be presented in future.
A key part of the enquiry is how perception changes across different contexts and sensory conditions. The R&D includes access-focused sessions with Deaf participants and blind or partially sighted participants through specialist education and community settings. These sessions are core research, offering insight into how attention, navigation and meaning shift when sound or vision is experienced differently, and shaping a richer work for all audiences.
To reach participants beyond my existing networks, I will recruit through community hubs in both East and West London, with sessions designed to include a mix of all ages and levels of familiarity with contemporary art.
Participants will receive clear information in advance about what the experience involves, including darkness, moving light and sound. They can choose their level of engagement and leave at any time. Any embedded viewpoint testing will be consent-led and clearly communicated. There will be no covert recording, and documentation will be stored securely.
Feedback will be gathered through short verbal prompts and optional written responses, with alternative formats available depending on access needs.
THRESHOLD
R & D
PROVISIONAL TIMELINE
PHASE 1
Studio research + early tests (May–July)
Material studies, internal structures, early light behaviour tests, initial viewpoint experiments.
PHASE 2
Public tests across contexts (Aug–Oct)
Small-scale sessions in community settings, outdoor festival prototype test, access-focused sessions, and a spatial sound test.
PHASE 3
Prototype refinement + final test phase (Nov–Feb)
Iterating the prototype based on findings, consolidating documentation, and completing a final structured test week in a gallery context.
OUTPUTS FROM R & D
The aim of this R&D is to develop a clear conceptual and material framework for a future public installation:
1. How sculpture, light and sound can work together as one coherent language
2. How perception shifts when participants encounter embedded viewpoints from within the work
3. How immersive environments can offer moments of awe, stillness and connection.
By the end of the R&D, I will consolidate the material, light, sound and embedded viewpoint tests, alongside documentation and audience feedback, into a written and visual proposal package for the next phase.
DOCUMENTATION & DISSEMINATION
The entire project will be documented through images, video, sound and written notes so learning is captured, not just outcomes. Selected process material will be shared through my studio channels, and a short film will be produced to communicate the research and support future presentation.
LONG TERM PUBLIC BENEFIT
The aim of this project is not to complete a final public artwork, but to establish a clear conceptual and material framework for one. The long-term outcome is a future public installation that grows directly from this R&D, designed to be adaptable across galleries, festivals and public sites, reaching beyond typical gallery audiences.
By the end of the research period I will have a clear proposal supported by documentation of material and light tests, film material and binaural sound studies. I will use this package to approach galleries, festivals and potential co-producing partners towards realising the work at scale, and to support commissioning and funding applications for the next phase. Where possible, I will develop the work towards touring so it can be experienced by different communities over time.
At its core, THRESHOLD is an invitation to notice how perception can shift. By working with light, sound, reflection and viewpoint, the piece creates conditions for a change in attention and orientation. The aim is that this moment of re-seeing and re-sensing has a lasting after-effect, opening up new ways of relating to space, oneself and those around us.
SELECTED PREVIOUS WORKS
A selection of projects that show how I work with space, light, sculpture and perception, and how this experience informs THRESHOLD.
My background spans 15+ years creating sets and spatial worlds for film and brands. As I shift into an artist led practice, selected commercial work now sits in an archive.
Click here for further information on any of the above projects
COLLABORATORS & EXPERTISE
THRESHOLD will be developed primarily in the studio, with targeted input from specialist collaborators at key stages of the research.
KEY SPECIALIST ROLES
1 | Embedded viewpoints and image systems, technicians experienced in in camera experimentation and alternative perspectives
2 | Spatial sound support for binaural studies and quadrophonic testing in room based listening environments
3 | Lighting and movement specialists to support internal light behaviour, refraction and spatial effects
*Where specialist creative labour is required, practitioners will be paid at agreed rates. Technical guidance from suppliers will support the research into materials and equipment, with any in kind support recorded separately.
1. TED HUMBLE SMITH ( CONFIRMED) 2. DAVE O BRIAN - DOLBY ATMOS ( CONFIRMED) 3. LIGHT INITIATIVE, TEM STUDIO ( EXPECTED)
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Emma Winter is a British interdisciplinary artist and creative lead whose practice centres on the creation of emotionally resonant worlds. Drawing on over fifteen years of experience in set and spatial design for film, editorial, installations and brand commissions, her work explores ephemerality, perception, states of matter and consciousness through sculpture, sound and immersive environments.
THRESHOLD marks a focused move into artist-led, research driven installation practice.
For further information or to request additional material, please contact by clicking the button below.