ASU students, faculty transform MIX Center into a living canvas of immersive design
MIXibition visitors view “A Walled City,” an interactive AI art installation that constructs a decentralized virtual settlement in real time, based on participants’ visual memories. The project draws inspiration from the demolished Kowloon Walled City (1950s–1993), a self-constructed, densely packed enclave that emerged from a unique historical and political anomaly in Hong Kong. Photo by Emily Hanaoka/ASU Herberger Institute
On April 30, Arizona State University’s Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center in downtown Mesa welcomed nearly 600 guests to MIXibition Spring 2025 — a multisensory showcase of immersive storytelling, design and technology created by students, faculty and collaborators from across ASU.
The interdisciplinary event highlighted the work of graduate students in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering’s Master of Science in media arts and sciences (extended reality technologies) program, as well as The Design School’s Master of Science in design (experience design) program.
Many projects included in the event resulted from cross-disciplinary collaborations with undergraduate students and contributors from across ASU, including the Endless Games and Learning Lab, DreamScape Learn, the School of Art, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, the Graphic Information Technology program and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
"I loved seeing how everyone was able to successfully bring their personal background into the creative process, regardless of degree or major," said Sven Ortel, professor of practice in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. "The audiences connected with the students’ work because visitors were immersed in worlds that the students had expertly designed and realized — in part because these were stories they care about themselves."
Following a welcome from Herberger Institute Dean Renée Cheng, guests explored installations such as “Deep Space Search & Rescue,” “Golden Record,” “Harmony of the East,” “Fading Corals” and “The Orange Experience” — all part of the "Design and Prototyping 360-degree Rich Media Immersive Spaces" series. These were hosted in the Enhanced Immersion Studio, a four-story, 3,200-square-foot experiential venue equipped with spatial audio, advanced rigging and projection systems.
At the center of the EIS stood a large acrylic "Pepper’s ghost" pyramid brought to life with immersive sound and projection. Nearby, a virtual tour of Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park offered a compelling look at cultural storytelling through XR. Other installations ranged from cinematic VR to hands-on robotics, interactive animation loops and explorations of sound-based storytelling.
On the upper floors, attendees encountered speculative futures like "Eclipse Elan" and "Aeon" and environmental narratives such as "What Is a Forest Worth?" And Dreamscape Learn’s free-roam pod and Endless Lab’s educational game prototypes showcased the latest in immersive learning design.
Graduate student Doster Chastain, who studies theater with a concentration in interdisciplinary digital media, said, "The events in the EIS at this year's MIXibition served as a wonderful opportunity to experience the results of students' collective effort to tell the stories of their choosing through the medium of immersive installations."
Graduate student Megha Sachdeva said she enjoyed sharing the work with the community.
"What I loved most about this year’s MIXibition was the energy of the crowd and the sheer enthusiasm that filled the space,” Sachdeva said.
“It was inspiring to see such a strong turnout and genuine curiosity from attendees. The scale and ambition of the student work really stood out. Each project brought something unique, immersive and thought-provoking. It felt like a true celebration of creativity, experimentation and collaboration."
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The “Harmony of the East” project is an immersive multisensory experience that celebrates the cultural fusion of Chinese and Indian traditions through symbolic storytelling, visuals and sound.
Photo by Emily Hanaoka/ASU
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Guests look around to see “Harmony of the East.”
Photo by Jialong Xu/ASU
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Media Arts and Sciences graduate student Anish Umesh Powar in the MIX Center Floor 1 Lobby.
Photo by Jialong Xu/ASU
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Graduate student Jialong Xu showcases “Polaris” to guests.
Photo courtesy of Jialong Xu/ASU
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Bea Rodriguez-Fransen, director at ASU Next Lab, with students Braedon J. Jurnock and Sparrow Dineen in space suits at the “Deep Space Search & Rescue” project, an interactive space adventure.
Photo by Emily Hanaoka/ASU
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Visitors to the MIXibition explore the “Deep Space Search & Rescue” project, an interactive space adventure.
Photo by Emily Hanaoka/ASU
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Guests interact with "Deep Space Search & Rescue."
Photo by Jialong Xu/ASU
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Nick Pilarski, interim director of the MIX Center, and Renée Cheng, ASU senior vice provost and dean of the Herberger Institute, welcome guests to the MIXibition.
Photo by Emily Hanaoka/ASU
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