Creating reflective spaces and secular rituals with Matt Warren

In his interview, learn how to create immersive atmospheres that evoke self-reflection and emotional engagement in audiences.

This conversation features Matt Warren, an artist, musician, and educator based in Nipaluna/Hobart, whose work has been exhibited internationally in Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the USA, and across Australia. 

Matt shares insights into the creative and conceptual processes behind Secular Ritual (selfie), his recent installation at Sawtooth Gallery in Launceston.

Drawing from ancient practices of using reflective surfaces and water for introspection, Matt’s work reimagines these rituals in a contemporary context. Incorporating everyday objects like selfie rings, mirrors, and fizzy water, he creates meditative spaces where participants can pause, reflect, and explore fluid identities. 

We also explore how flexible spaces like ARIs (Artist-Run Initiatives) enable experimentation, the role of soundscapes and lighting in shaping immersive experiences, and the lessons Matt has learned from creating open-ended works that encourage personal interpretation.

Listen to this episode to learn about:

• How Matt reimagines ancient rituals using modern tools to craft reflective installations.
• The impact of soundscapes and mood on immersive art experiences.
• The benefits of using flexible spaces like ARIs to refine and experiment with new ideas.

Highlights

• (00:03:40) Exploring secular rituals through art and selfie rings

• (00:08:31) Exploring sound as a catalyst for visual art creation
• (00:11:12) Exploring the concept of Stimmung in German expressionism
• (00:11:32) Creating authentic art spaces through flexible installation
• (00:15:07) Creating spaces for personal reflection

About Matt Warren

Matt Warren is a Nipaluna/Hobart-based electronic media artist, musician, and educator who creates installations, sound art, and single-channel video. His practice explores themes of memory, transcendence, and fluid identities, drawing on influences like psychedelia, hauntology, and digital abstraction to craft evocative, thought-provoking experiences.

As a musician, Matt performs and records electro-acoustic and drone music both as a solo artist and in collaborative projects. His work has been exhibited internationally, including in Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the USA, and across Australia.

Matt teaches sculpture, time-based media, and creative lab units at the University of Tasmania. His contributions extend to public art projects and festivals such as MONA FOMA, Dark MOFO, and The Unconformity.

Key Takeaways from this interview with Matt Warren

Secular Ritual (selfie) is an installation that combines everyday objects—such as selfie rings, mirrors, and fizzy water—into a meditative space. The work invites participants to engage with the fluidity of their own identity through the reinterpretation of ancient divination practices. By blending sound, light, and visual elements, Matt crafts an atmosphere where audiences can pause, reflect, and explore their inner states. 

Transforming the ordinary

“A lot of my work is about the elevation of something that’s very everyday or very commonplace and kind of elevating it to something a little more reverential.”

Matt reimagines familiar items as tools for self-reflection. Presented within a contemplative, immersive environment, these everyday objects take on new significance, encouraging audiences to experience them in unexpected ways.

Crafting immersive spaces

“I like to create immersive spaces and spaces where a ritual or something may happen; you know, an experience may happen.”

Atmosphere as mood

“It is more about the atmosphere of a place or of a composition, like the frame in a film. It’s all the little elements that actually make the stimulant, the mood of a piece.”

Matt sees atmosphere as a key part of his installations. Through careful attention to detail—such as the way light interacts with objects or how sound fills a space—he creates works that evoke specific moods.

The role of experimentation

“I just set it up in the space, essentially, and it sort of came together, and it helped make some decisions about the work.”

ARIs (Artist-Run Initiatives) offer artists the flexibility to experiment, enabling them to make creative decisions directly during installation. These spaces foster a dynamic environment where works can evolve and adapt in real time.

Advice

“I do feel like the more we immerse ourselves in what we’re interested in and our interests, and just look around and listen, I think we find places that really touch other people as well.”

Matt reflects on the importance of following personal passions and interests as a way to connect with audiences. He emphasizes that meaning in art doesn’t always emerge immediately—it often develops over time. By staying open to discovery and grounded in what inspires them, artists can create work that resonates deeply with others.

Links from the podcast  

• Visit  Matt Warren’s website
• Follow Matt on Instagram
• Visit Sawtooth AIR website 
• Follow Sawtooth  on Instagram