New Interactive Art Installation at the West Mid
Audiovisual display aims to convey a sense of calm to patients, staff and visitors
Flow reimagines the entrance not just as a passageway, but as a contemplative and soothing space. Picture: CW+
June 12, 2025
A new digital art installation at West Middlesex University Hospital is aiming to bring a sense of calm to patients, staff and visitors.
Flow is a piece of interactive audiovisual art commissioned by CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, as part of its Arts in Health programme. It marks the latest evolution of the first Immersive Healing Art System (IHAS), which launched at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2021.
Located in one of the hospital’s busiest areas, Flow reimagines the entrance not just as a passageway, but as a contemplative and soothing space.
The immersive installation, which was shaped by feedback from staff and patients on previous similar projects, is designed to reflect the natural movement of water, and responds in real time to environmental conditions and human interaction. Inspired by the ebb and flow of tides, it adapts its visuals based on the time of day, temperature, light and sound. The result is a constantly moving, living artwork that shifts and evolves throughout the day.
The installation also reacts to the movements and expressions of people passing by, inviting them to engage with the space. As visitors move through, they create ripples and waves on the screen. The colours shift, the brightness changes, and the visuals respond to their gestures and mood, offering a calming, personalised experience that helps them feel more connected to themselves and their surroundings.
Trystan Hawkins, Director of Patient Environment at CW+, said, ‘Flow offers a moment of pause and reflection in the fast-paced setting of a hospital. By incorporating real-time data and interactive technologies, this piece encourages mindfulness and a deeper awareness of one’s state of being – something we believe is essential for both patient recovery and staff wellbeing.’
Flow was created in collaboration with Studio Inneract, a London-based digital art studio, continuing a partnership that began with the first IHAS installation in 2021, followed by a version of Flow installed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2024.
Zheyuan Zhang, Director of Studio Inneract, led the development of the installation. He is currently pursuing a PhD in digital mental health and wellbeing technology design with CW+ and Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering.
He said, ‘We’re proud to continue our collaboration with CW+ on Flow. Our aim with Flow, and our series of digital artwork, is to bring the therapeutic power of interactive and visual art into healthcare spaces. By merging technology, art and design, we hope to create environments that adapt to various contexts and actively engage visitors. We hope our work will offer moments of peace and contemplation in a busy healthcare setting.’
Flow is open to the public and will be a permanent feature at West Middlesex University Hospital.
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