In Conversation with Vicente Manzano: Exploring the Mind Through Sound and Light

This Saturday, 9th August, Market Hall Devonport welcomes Neurocosm — a ground-breaking audiovisual performance that transforms brainwave activity into a live, immersive experience. Created by Alma Digital Studio, an immersive wellness art studio based in Barcelona and founded by filmmaker and digital artist Vicente Manzano, Neurocosm invites audiences on a sensory journey through the landscapes of the mind, where technology, art, and spirituality converge.

Alma Digital's work exists at the intersection of science and storytelling, creating meditative environments that support well-being and inner exploration. In Neurocosm, real-time EEG data, generative visuals, and ambient electronic soundscapes are woven together to create a hypnotic experience that reacts to the artist’s own neurological activity. First developed during a research residency in Chile, the work has been showcased internationally, and now arrives in Plymouth as part of Market Hall's growing programme of immersive arts.

In the Q&A that follows, founder Vicente Manzano shares insight into the inspiration behind Neurocosm, the studio's wider mission, and how immersive art can unlock new ways of understanding ourselves.

Can you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about Alma Digital – who you are, how you met, and how you started working together?
We are the founders of Alma Digital, an immersive wellness art studio based in Barcelona. Our backgrounds blend music, audiovisual art, and technology, and we met through a shared passion for creating experiences that transcend traditional media. We started working together out of a mutual curiosity for the intersection of inner exploration and cutting-edge technology—how we could use art not just to entertain, but to connect, reflect, and heal.

What drew you to working at the intersection of technology, neuroscience, and art?
We’ve always had a deep interest in meditation, consciousness, and mental health. Exploring how new technologies can support well-being felt like a natural evolution of our creative practices. The interdisciplinary nature of this work—bridging science, spirituality, and storytelling—offers endless creative potential and allows us to craft experiences that resonate on emotional, cognitive, and somatic levels.

Where do you call home, and how does that place influence your creative practice?
We’re originally from Chile and currently based in Barcelona. One of us also spent many formative years in Los Angeles, which deeply shaped our aesthetic and approach to multimedia. Having lived in multiple places, we’ve developed a sense of home that’s fluid—but Chile is our cultural and ancestral root. The mysticism, rhythms, and deep wisdom of those lands permeate our work and continue to inspire our storytelling.

What is NEUROCOSM, in your own words?
Neurocosm is a journey within—an immersive artistic experience designed to guide audiences through their own inner landscapes. It explores how our minds work, how we relate to our thoughts, and how we can foster deeper awareness through sound, visuals, and neurotechnology.

What inspired you to create a performance using brainwaves and real-time EEG data?
Neurocosm began as an interactive installation that visualized brain activity in real time using EEG sensors. We were fascinated by the idea of making our inner worlds visible—transforming something intangible into something you can see, hear, and feel. It was a way to bridge art and mental health, to invite self-exploration and reflection through play, awe, and curiosity.

What can audiences expect to experience—visually, sonically, and emotionally—during the show?
Audiences can expect hypnotic, meditative soundscapes layered with audio-reactive visuals and a sensory atmosphere that feels deeply introspective. Each person’s journey will be unique—it’s not a spectacle but a portal. Emotionally, it often evokes calm, presence, and moments of personal insight.

NEUROCOSM is being presented in the stunning 15m immersive dome at Market Hall in Plymouth – how does performing in such a unique, 360° environment enhance your work?
The dome format is the perfect canvas for Neurocosm. Its immersive nature aligns beautifully with our intention to create a space for inner exploration. In a world full of overstimulation, this environment invites stillness and focus, enhancing the meditative quality of the performance.

What excites you most about bringing NEUROCOSM to Market Hall’s immersive dome – and how do you think this space will shape the audience experience?
We’re excited to bring our energy and work to a new city and cultural context. Every new venue is a chance to learn and evolve. Market Hall’s immersive dome will amplify the emotional impact of the visuals and spatial sound, creating a unique, enveloping experience that invites people to disconnect from the outside and reconnect with themselves.

How do you translate brain activity into visuals and sound? What does the process involve?
We use EEG sensors to track brainwave activity in real time. That data is fed into custom software interfaces, which map the signals to various parameters in TouchDesigner. This allows us to manipulate generative visuals based on the performer’s mental state during the live show. It’s a subtle but powerful way to bring an element of bio-feedback into the performance.

Is each performance unique depending on the brain data at the time?
Yes, although the journey is carefully composed, the real-time EEG input adds a layer of uniqueness to every show. The visuals shift in response to the performer’s state, creating subtle differences in each performance and reinforcing the authenticity of the moment.

Can you describe the creative and technical process of developing NEUROCOSM?
It started with conceptual research into meditation, mindfulness, and biofeedback. From there, we prototyped EEG interfaces and developed visual environments in TouchDesigner and Unreal Engine. We composed a soundscape in 432Hz to align with the meditative intent, and synced everything through Ableton Live. The technical challenge was ensuring harmony across tools, while the creative process was about sculpting an emotional and introspective arc.

What challenges did you face when fusing neuroscience with live performance – and how did you overcome them?
One major challenge was translating raw EEG data into something meaningful and artistic. It’s easy to get caught in the science, but the goal was to use it poetically, not clinically. We focused on creating an intuitive, aesthetic language that made the invisible feel tangible—without overwhelming the viewer with data or complexity.

Did anything unexpected happen while developing or performing NEUROCOSM?
We’ve learned more than we ever anticipated—about ourselves, about neurotechnology, about audience connection. The biggest surprise has been seeing how organically people connect with the experience, and how open they are to exploring their inner world through this kind of format.

NEUROCOSM has a very introspective, meditative quality. What themes or emotions are you hoping audiences will reflect on?
We hope audiences feel invited to slow down, to reconnect, and to reflect—on themselves, their mental patterns, and perhaps even their place in a larger, spiritual sense. Themes like presence, acceptance, and transformation are central. It’s about offering a mirror to the mind.

How do you see the role of neurotechnology in future art practices?
We believe neurotechnology will increasingly become a tool for designing more adaptive, personalized, and emotionally resonant art. It has the potential to not only enhance audience experience but also help us understand the impact of art on our nervous system and mental health.

What has the response to NEUROCOSM been like so far from audiences?
The response has been deeply encouraging. People are curious and open. Many say it’s unlike anything they’ve experienced before—something that speaks to both their mind and their heart. We sense a growing desire for art that invites personal transformation.

How does performing in immersive venues like Market Hall’s dome affect your work?
It challenges us to think spatially—not just visually or sonically, but emotionally. How do you guide someone through a feeling using space? That’s what immersive venues allow us to explore, and we see it as an incredible opportunity to evolve our storytelling language.

What do you hope people take away from the experience?
A renewed connection to themselves. A pause. Maybe a new insight, a release, or just a few minutes of deep presence. We hope it sparks something—whether creative, emotional, or spiritual—that they carry forward.

What’s next for Alma Digital – any upcoming projects or future explorations?
We’re currently collaborating with Johns Hopkins University on a new VR experience that tracks not just brainwaves, but other physiological states. We’re also developing a more rhythm-driven, dance-club immersive show for 2026, continuing our exploration of how art and technology can shift inner states through collective experience.