Visual Arena – a meeting place for immersive installations in Gothenburg
Immersive Installations: Building the Future of Experiential Storytelling in Gothenburg
What if public space could carry the stories we rarely hear?
What if multisensory storytelling could unlock new ways of feeling, reflecting — and connecting?
That’s what we set out to explore in this innovation project.
Project story
1. The Signal: A Groundswell of Global Momentum
At Visual Arena, we started seeing clear signals — from both our local network and global trends — that immersive installations are reaching an inflection point. New technology, cultural demand, and societal challenges are converging.
We asked ourselves:
Is Gothenburg ready to lead this?
We gathered 30 voices — artists, technologists, public institutions, academics, business leaders — for an open session.
The response was clear: Yes. The time is now.
2. The Research: Learning From the World's Best
To validate our direction, we interviewed seven global leaders in immersive experience design — founders, CEOs, producers, strategists, immersive artists. They shared patterns and hard-won strategies:
- Sustainable Business Models: Partner-based, flexible funding structures are key.
- Blending Physical and Digital: To attract both new and traditional audiences.
- Tech That Amplifies, Not Distracts: AI and XR as narrative tools — not gimmicks.
- Use Cases in Education & Inclusion: From therapeutic use to public learning.
- Audience-Centricity: Design for emotional, cognitive, and physical accessibility.
- Small-Scale Prototyping: Start bold, start fast — then iterate.
- Environmental Gains: Lower carbon footprint vs. traditional events.
- Strategic Governance: Combine experimentation with long-term planning.
These findings gave us both credibility and a roadmap.
3. Prototyping & Workshop: Local Intelligence, Shared Vision
Next, we ran a hands-on workshop with stakeholders across sectors where we showed some small and fast prototypes on immersive installations made from the insights.
Two things stood out:
- There’s a need for immersive spaces where art, tech, and social purpose intersect.
- No one can do this alone. Partnerships — across institutions, disciplines, and industries — are the unlock.
We mapped challenges, aligned incentives, and co-designed next steps.
The conclusion?
We needed a real-world test with real audience to explore how immersive installations rooted in everyday settings could evoke emotional presence, enable co-creation, and open new possibilities for how people in Gothenburg experience and share meaningful stories.
4. The Experiment: The Swedish Laundry Room
We set out to test what immersive storytelling could look like — and feel like — when built fast, collaboratively, and rooted in everyday life.
In just a few short weeks, we transformed a concept into a working prototype: The Swedish Laundry Room — an immersive art and music installation staged at Gothenburg Film Studios in May 2025.
This wasn’t a functioning laundromat.
It was a metaphor — reimagining a shared, often overlooked domestic space as a sensory portal for quiet stories, emotional reflection, and collective meaning-making.
Using sound, scent, light, tactility, and interaction, we invited visitors into an embodied experience where memory, routine, and imagination could blur. Over two days, more than 100 participants stepped into the installation — not just to observe, but to feel, react, and co-create.
“I felt like I was a piece of laundry — not just an observer,” said one participant.
The goal wasn’t perfection.
It was provocation: to test if intimate, immersive formats could spark connection, reflection, and insight in a city like Gothenburg — and what it would take to do it again.
5. The Insights: 100+ Interviews, Real-World Signals
We didn’t guess.
We listened.
Through over 100 in-depth interviews, we captured what worked, what moved people, and what to improve. These are the patterns that emerged:
Wow Factor
Participants consistently described strong initial impressions from sensory cues—such as dramatic lighting, immersive soundscapes, and evocative smells—that created memorable "wow" moments. Novelty and unpredictability, like color-changing visuals or dreamlike soundscapes, were cited as key factors in making the installation stand out
- The immediate impact of smells and sounds upon entry was highlighted as a "wow" moment.
- Dramatic lighting transitions were described as the most memorable element, creating a striking, almost cinematic sense of presence.
- Participants found the installation unexpectedly emotional and beautiful, with some becoming tearful during the experience.
Quotes:
"It was the best of the best in a long time."
"I almost, I don't know why, but I became a bit tearful. It was a very good experience. Something was triggered in my mind. It was very pleasant."
Social Interaction
Users valued opportunities for social interaction, whether through observing others, reading and contributing to written notes, or engaging in playful group activities. Peer reflections and shared rituals enhanced the sense of community and made routine tasks more enjoyable.
- Reading and creating diverse stories and notes from other visitors' reflections about laundry on a wall fostered a sense of indirect social interaction and community.
- Participants appreciated collaborative activities, such as shaking a sheet together, which then triggered the sound and the visuals of the immersive experience, which made the experience more personal and memorable.
- Observing others helped overcome initial hesitation and encouraged participation, leading to shared discovery and joy.
Quotes
"...it felt a bit like I was being washed in there with the clothes and detergents... it was before the social part where you get to talk to people, but the funny thing is I talked to more people inside the washing machine than outside... we tried to figure things out together."
Shareability
The installation inspired participants to share their experiences with friends, film the installation, and discuss it afterward, indicating high shareability. Memorable, emotionally impactful, or novel experiences were more likely to be shared and recommended.
- One participant noted filming the experience to share with friends, highlighting its word-of-mouth potential 10.
- Others expressed openness to post-experience reflection and feedback sharing, such as writing notes or discussing the installation at work 11.
- Social media and personal networks were significant channels for discovery and sharing
Quotes:
"I took a lot of pictures and everything... I will remember that. Talked about it at work before coming here... It was well worth the time."
Accessibility
First-time and experienced users alike highlighted the need for clear onboarding, signage, and instructions to reduce confusion and make the installation accessible. Physical accessibility, intuitive interactive cues, and support for users unfamiliar with immersive experiences were recurring needs.
- Several participants reported difficulty finding the entrance or understanding how to interact, emphasizing the importance of accessible onboarding.
- Clear instructions and intuitive navigation were requested to ensure inclusivity for all visitors.
- Some users noted that ambiguous instructions or lack of story reduced their sense of presence and engagement.
Quotes:
"I didn't really know what to do. But I sat and watched. Then I saw Gorki, go through the rings... so I started too. There was a little barrier at first... But once you were there, you became completely focused on what was happening around you."
Immersion
Deep immersion was achieved when users could actively participate, manipulate objects, or physically explore the space. Clear narrative cues, relatable metaphors, and opportunities for introspection or nostalgia further enhanced immersion. Multi-sensory design—sound, visuals, and tactile elements—was critical for creating a sense of presence.
- Participants described feeling fully absorbed when moving around, engaging with props, or reflecting on personal memories.
- The convergence of colors and rumbling sounds created the sensation of being "inside a washing machine," leading to a feeling of being lost in the experience.
- The installation was likened to a portal to another world, offering a break from daily routine and sparking both relaxation and creative curiosity.
Quotes:
"It felt a bit like being a piece of clothing. That's what I felt at the end. It felt like VR. Like I was just finished drying, like a freshly dried sheet or something."
"It's a bit like entering another world. I think that's the thing. It's like a break from life. You get out of your everyday routine. You break habits a bit. It's something completely new that you've never experienced before."
Project Made Possible By
Visual Arena, Antaraal Studio, Gothenburg Film Studios, Informationsteknik, Sveriges Stadsmissioner
And a 17-person creative team, including:
Gorki Glaser-Müller, Akshay Sarode, Alicia Lázaro Arteaga, Simon Olsson, Frida Gottwald, Martin Högenberg, Isabelle Ermeryd Tancred, Julia Böckert, Alva Cecilia Qi Philqvist, Susanne Hansson, Daniel Lägersten, Peter Svärd, Ylva Olsson, Peter Andersson, Carl-Fredrik Hansson, Niklas Andersson, Emilia Wiehe, Elena Perota, Sofia Xie, Abbas Razocky.
“Immersive media and technologies are only in their infancy — so it’s essential that we undertake projects like these that we can all learn from.”
— Daniel D Lägersten, CEO, Gothenburg Film Studios
Visual Arena - Experience To Insights Lab: Thesis Opportunity for Master Students
Martin Högenberg
We are exploring the immersive and spatial experiences of the future - and you can join in!
XR Sweden - The realities collective
