A new immersive installation at the National Science and Media Museum is set to open.
The installation, called YOU:MATTER, has been created by artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast and will be open to the public from Thursday, April 3, 2025, until Sunday, February 22, 2026.
The installation, commissioned for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, will take visitors on a journey to discover their connection to the universe.
YOU:MATTER will show how everything in the universe can be traced back to the same cosmic explosion, and how the Big Bang is “still banging” right at the heart of Bradford.
The installation will show how each ingredient of life is constructed from the same building blocks as the universe, and how the human body is inextricably linked to water, air, and sunlight.
The installation, commissioned for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, will showcase how everything in the universe can be traced back to the Big Bang, and will remain open until Sunday, February 22, 2026 (Image: Supplied)
These ideas will be brought to life through a series of immersive sound and video installations, revealing the deep connections between our bodies, the planet, and the wider universe.
Visitors will be able to shift perspectives, from witnessing the Earth breathing through data from NASA, to following the journey of a single drop of water.
Interactive installations will invite audiences to breathe life into a digital forest, while a selfie station will place them within the vast web of biodiversity.
Marshmallow Laser Feast work across the boundaries of art, immersive experiences, XR, and film, with their work described as “taking] people on multisensory journeys where imagination and information collide.”
They have exhibited internationally at institutions ranging from ACMI and the Barbican Centre to YCAM and DDB Seoul, as well as Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Saatchi Gallery, and the Lisbon Architectural Triennale.
Shanaz Gulzar, creative director at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: “We’re pleased to be collaborating with the National Science and Media Museum and Marshmallow Laser Feast on this exciting and thought-provoking installation that invites audiences to discover the profound connections between the universe and everyday life.
“Through immersive technology and Marshmallow Laser Feast’s innovative thinking, YOU:MATTER is the story of Bradford’s people and their place in the cosmos.”
Robin McNicholas, co-founder and creative director at Marshmallow Laser Feast, said: “We want visitors to feel their connection to the past, present, and future—not just as individuals, but as part of an ongoing story that stretches across time and space.
“YOU:MATTER is a reminder that you are not separate from the cosmos, but an extension of its story.”
More information and tickets are available at https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/whats-on/you-matter
