Harmonizing Life and Music: The Future Fan Stage Revolutionizes IVF Experiences

In a groundbreaking collaboration, Swedish maker Love Hultén has teamed up with Sweden's renowned Way Out West music festival to create the Future Fan Stage, a captivating installation designed to enhance the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) experience. This innovative stage combines elements of laboratory equipment and live music staging, offering a unique and immersive environment for the audience of sperm and eggs awaiting IVF treatment.

Bridging the Gap Between Science and Art

Merging Medical and Musical Elements

The Future Fan Stage is a remarkable fusion of science and art, blending the clinical aesthetics of laboratory equipment with the dynamic energy of live music performance. Hultén's design encases the stage within an all-white console, drawing inspiration from various medical instruments and equipment. The result is a striking balance between the sterile, clinical environment and the vibrant, emotive world of music.The stage features a range of functional elements, including miniature custom spotlights, an LED backdrop, and sound-responsive light effects. These technical components work in harmony to create a captivating visual experience, mirroring the rhythmic pulse of the music. The decorative elements, inspired by the look of medical isolation chambers, further enhance the stage's unique and immersive atmosphere.

Ferrofluid: The "Dancing Black Goo"

At the center of the stage stands a reservoir of ferrofluid, a mesmerizing substance that Hultén has dubbed the "dancing black goo." This ferrofluid, controlled by a hidden electromagnet, responds to the music, creating a mesmerizing and organic visual display. The designer's initial idea to incorporate smoke, drawing parallels to both medical sterilization and classic stage effects, was ultimately abandoned due to clinical considerations.

Functional and Immersive Design

The Future Fan Stage's console is not merely a visual spectacle; it is a fully functional instrument. The switches, faders, and dials on the console control various parameters, such as lighting, volume, and Bluetooth pairing, allowing for a high degree of interactivity and customization.The stage also features a waveform audio visualizer on a circular display, echoing the look of a cardiac monitor. This element adds to the stage's medical-inspired aesthetic, while also providing a tangible connection between the music and the visual experience.

Bringing Music to the IVF Clinic

The Future Fan Stage was installed at the Elivia IVF clinic in Stockholm, where it played recorded live music from some of Way Out West's 2024 headlining acts, such as Fred Again, Peggy Gou, Queens of the Stone Age, and Pulp. However, the stage was not connected to any medical equipment, ensuring that it did not interfere with the clinic's standard procedures.

Hultén's Innovative Design Legacy

Love Hultén, known for his one-off crafted synthesizers and other technological objects, has a reputation for blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. His previous designs have included a wooden synthesizer that folds up like an old-fashioned toolbox and a glass-domed shrine to the Nintendo Entertainment System, showcasing his ability to create unique and captivating technological artifacts.

Elevating the Live Music Experience

The Future Fan Stage is an initiative of the Way Out West festival, which aimed to bring attention to the importance of growth in the live music scene. The idea for the stage came from one of the festival's collaborators, the creative agency NORD DDB, after it discovered a study that showed music can improve the fertilization rate during the IVF process."If music can be so powerful at that stage, it surely underscores its importance and the need to keep the music scene alive," said Way Out West project manager Kimmie Winroth, highlighting the festival's commitment to fostering a thriving live music ecosystem.The Future Fan Stage represents a bold and innovative approach to bridging the worlds of science and art, offering a unique and immersive experience for those undergoing the IVF process. By harnessing the power of music and integrating it seamlessly with medical aesthetics, this collaboration between Love Hultén and the Way Out West festival has the potential to redefine the way we perceive and engage with the live music experience.