Art & Technology As A Portal Into Kinship with Barnaby Steel

In this conversation, Victoria Loorz is joined by Barnaby Steel, artist and co-founder of Marshmallow Laser Feast, an experiential art collective devoted to awakening the senses and expanding perception through multisensory exhibits. Together, they explore how art, science, and imagination engage the illusion of separation, and how even controversial technologies like AI might be held in ways that deepen relationship rather than fragment it. In a time when technology often distracts and numbs, the conversation asks a different question: what if our tools could help us remember how to sense, feel, and belong in relationship?Barnaby reflects on the roots of his creative life, shaped by deep observation, risk, and a willingness to let go. He shares stories about the collaborative experiences created when artists work with advanced technologies to translate scientific insight into lived experiences that extend our senses beyond their usual limits and inviting a felt experience of interconnection with breath, trees, sound, and the human body. Weaving themes of perception, ritual, grief, and awe, the episode considers immersive art as a modern rite of passage, not as an escape from the world, but as a return to it with softened defenses and renewed devotion to relationship.Connect with Barnaby:Website: marshmallowlaserfeast.comInstagram: @marshmallowlaserfeastLinkedIn: @marshmallowlaserfeastNewsletter Signup: mailchi.mp/marshmallowlaserfeast/newsletter-signupMentioned in the episode:Book: Existence, A Story by David HintonVideo: Richard Feynman's story of "What's the name of a bird?"White Mirror - The Sensory Wellness Agency Website: whitemirror.studioVideo: Samuel Barber - Adagio for StringsConnect with the Center:Website: wildspirituality.earthVictoria's Website: victorialoorz.comEmail: [email protected]: linktr.ee/ctrforwildspiritualityInstagram: @center_for_wild_spiritualityTimestamps:00:00 — Introduction06:57 — Interview Begins08:24 — The Land That Raised Barnaby11:17 — Existence Tissue15:19 — Marshmallow Laser Feast23:01 — Physical Reality Is Spiritual Reality32:51 — How Experience Shifts Us37:34 — Caring for Self Is Caring for All41:40 — Virtual Reality & Expanding Empathy45:56 — Changing Perception49:26 — Patterns of Consciousness53:19 — Falling in Love57:11 — A Wild Invitation58:58 — Credits