Space of resilience: architecture, communication, and immersive experience in “St Sebastian: Plague Memory”

Abstract

This paper examines St Sebastian: Plague Memory, a multi-channel audiovisual installation that redefines architecture through sensory and immersive media. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project unfolds in two phases: first, transforming the interior of the Museo dell’Arte Classica in Rome into an experiential environment that fosters resilience and communal healing, and later evolving into a façade projection for La Notte dei Musei.1 Drawing on Mallgrave’s (2013) concept of the body as a neurological experience, the installation transcends traditional physical boundaries, establishing a dynamic spatial framework shaped by embodied interactions. By positioning installations as a form of architecture, this paper argues that ephemeral, sensory encounters can effectively address societal challenges through non-material engagement, offering a contemplative framework during crises. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that integrates embodied cognition (Mallgrave, 2013) and affect theory (Brennan, 2014), this study illustrates how architecture emerges as a co-created perceptual field, formed and sustained through the dynamic interplay between architectural environments, bodily experience, mediated stimuli, and spatial consciousness.