We were invited down to Aures London, an immersive exhibition and event space, to witness “Astrofeels” – a celestial collection of interactive art by Adrian Barbu, upcoming artist and Visual Director at Tom Ford.

The exhibition presents 40 plexiglass spheres, hand painted by Barbu, each with their own titles: “space emotions”, “bold & brave”, “far from earth” and more. Each hanging sphere tells its own story, some intricately adorned with flowers and butterflies, others shimmering with phosphorescent galaxies and orbiting planets, illuminated by the lights below. The reflectivity of the plexiglass means that our reactions to the art can be seen in the art itself – following the theme of human connectivity that inspires Barbu’s collection.

“When examining the art”, says Barbu, “what may initially be perceived as molecular explosions or other worlds can also denote a multitude of human emotions, from love & peace to bursts of primal attraction”. With “Astrofeels”, 3D planets dangle in front of the spheres to create an immersive astronomical landscape, while a specially curated playlist booms from the 54-speaker sound system. Considering our sense of smell is the strongest emotional sense in the body, the exhibition makes use of the space’s scent delivery system to emanate the summery smells of freshly-cut grass, linking the surrounding scent to the dreamy pieces.

It’s hard to imagine Barbu’s unique spheres hanging in any other space, considering the futuristic appeal of Aures’ immersive experiences and pioneering technology. Located on ‘Banksy Tunnel’ underneath Waterloo station, the space perfectly encapsulates both the city’s urban graffiti culture and its buzzing creativity. With a deep commitment to visitors being as involved with the work on display as possible, Aures aims to stimulate our senses and encourages us to discuss and share our experiences in the space. Taking immersive viewing to the next level, the space is the ideal setting for the complex reactions that Barbu’s “Astrofeels” elicits.