‘Plume’ at the Museum of Arts and Sciences offers an immersive light, sound experience

The third in the Museum of Arts and Sciences’ rotating exhibit of immersive, multimedia art is underway through October.

Called “Plume,” the current work is described as an immersive, interactive dome of synchronized light and sound gestures, utilizing motion, sound and color to bring into being its own ephemeral and ethereal ecosystem.

Walking into the museum’s Burgess Gallery, fitted in October of 2024 with state-of-the-art sound and electronic capabilities to showcase new media and technology-based works, a looming dome fills the space, floor to ceiling, covered in massive connections of wires resembling tangled arteries and nerves.

Externally, you get a hint of what’s to come as multicolored lights pulsate rhythmically.

Entering the dome, the magic happens as technology disappears and lights, sounds and effects encompass you.

The artist behind the “Plume” installation is Ian Brill, a professor of art at Penn State University. We had a brief exchange as he was trying to make his way to a rush installation of a work he was asked to do in Telluride, Colorado. The trip was made more difficult by a day-long flight delay due to a “smoking” aircraft failure and 36-plus hours of no sleep.

Everything was fine, eventually.

I asked his favorite term for his work, which includes 100 or so various installations across the country since the early 2000s. As any artist would, he said that was a hard question considering his innovative body of work, but threw out terms like performative, architectural and immersive light sculptures.

“Maybe that works,” he said, continuing that he has in mind a sense or perception of it being experimental cinema or deconstructive cinema, although it would fall under emergent cinema or self-generative cinema forms.

“It’s not easy and always a mouthful describing it,” he said. “Immersive, performative, new media?”

Brill said he anticipates those encountering “Plume” might come away with differing experiences, some finding it stimulating while others find it relaxing.

“Maybe it will disrupt the prescribed/traditional manner those who see it relate to and consume media and technology,” he said.

He added jokingly, “Maybe they are conversant in my visual language and can read my mind. That would be great, too!”

I asked, bearing in mind his travel difficulties, if in his art he is most interested in the technological aspects or the artistic side or some combination of both.

“Technology is the least interesting component of the work but takes up 99.9% of my time and effort,” he said, making clear his seriousness yet keeping a sense of humor about it. “It’s a good thing I still enjoy learning new things. However, technology, when it is naturally part of the concept, can be incredible.”

Concerning his work with the Museum of Arts and Sciences in creating the exhibit, his response was short and sweet: “They seem great.”

The nature of “Plume” and its dome-style presentation falls at the perfect moment at the museum.

“Ian’s work is a wonderful complement to the Museum’s programming — leveraging science and technology to create a beautiful artistic experience,” said Susan Welsh, the museum’s long-time executive director who is now serving as its interim director while a search is on to find her permanent replacement.

“We intentionally scheduled ‘Plume’ to be on display during the Macon Film Festival when we at the museum celebrate the world’s best fulldome films, showing them in our Mark Smith Planetarium. In ‘Plume,’ Ian has created his own dynamic version of an immersive, fulldome space. We’re excited for filmmakers, artists, students and visitors to take inspiration from these innovative forms of art that we’re able to bring to Middle Georgia.”

The Macon Film Festival is Aug. 21-24.

According to Welsh, the ability to transform the museum’s Burgess Gallery and allow the museum to host cutting-edge new media, high-tech art and art installations was made possible by funding from the Knight Foundation. The space’s upgrades included electrical, projection, audio and other systems.

Bringing nationally and internationally known artists working in such new fields is made possible through a collaboration with Wonderspaces, Inc. Wonderspaces presents the work of more than 125 partner artists through permanent exhibitions in Scottsdale, Arizona, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Austin, Texas, plus its two-year agreement for exhibits in Macon.

Wonderspaces’ stated mission is to deliver new concepts of art to new audiences. Its partnership with the Museum of Arts and Sciences offers area artists and attendees not only the opportunity to regularly see and experience ART+TECH works but also to interact with artist-creators through live and online workshops, Q&As and other means.

Two more Wonderspaces collaborative exhibits are still to come: “Fuji,” starting Oct. 31 and running through Feb. 28, and “Erupture,” opening March 6, and running through July 11, 2026.

Find out more about all that’s going on at the Museum of Arts and Sciences at masmacon.org.

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What’s on stage in Middle Georgia this weekend:

Macon Little Theatre: Opening this weekend is “Jekyll & Hyde,” July 17-27. maconlittletheatre.org

Perry Players: Opening this weekend is “Hairspray: The Musical,” July 17-Aug. 2. perryplayers.org

Theatre Macon: Already underway is “The Prince of Egypt,” through July 26. theatremacon.com

Warner Robins Little Theatre: Already underway is “Steel Magnolias,” through July 27. wrlittletheatre.com

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at @michael_w_pannell.