A Conversation with Suchi Reddy
Suchi Reddy at Superstudio in Milan with her installation "Shaped by Air"
As part of our ongoing ‘Conversations’ series, we spoke with Suchi Reddy ahead of her upcoming talk at Newport Art Museum on August 22nd. During this special presentation, Reddy will explore how neuroaesthetic principles – the study of how aesthetic experiences affect us – evoke connection, wonder, and empowerment as they relate to Bobby Anspach's exhibition "Everything is Change."
As the founder of Reddymade, a New York-based practice established in 2002, Suchi is a leading figure in neuroaesthetics, exploring the profound impact of design on human perception and well-being. Her approach integrates neuroscience with architecture, providing a framework for understanding how design affects the brain and body – principles that align remarkably with Bobby's vision for his "Place for Continuous Eye Contact" machines as spaces where grounding connection, joy, and love can blossom.
Join us as we explore Suchi's pioneering work in neuroaesthetics, her perspective on Bobby's transformative installations, and her insights into the power of place to create meaningful human connection.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background in architecture.
I founded my practice Reddymade in 2002, guided by the belief that form follows feeling. My work spans art installations, architecture of cultural and civic spaces, residences, and commercial projects – ranging from Google’s flagship NYC retail store, a Salt Point home designed with artist Ai Weiwei, and the amenities spaces for Aqualina, a residential development in Florida, designed with Karl Lagerfeld. All of our projects are united by the idea that space is not neutral—it actively shapes us.
How did you first discover the field of neuroaesthetics? What drew you to explore this intersection of neuroscience and design?
I came to neuroaesthetics through two things: my disaffection with the tendency of architecture to be directed by questions of style , and my lifelong interest in the sciences.I wanted to bring the discussion of design back to a space we all inhabit and understand regardless of race or class or socio-economic differences , what I call the “ democratic space of the body”.I was delighted to discover there was an entire field devoted to this inquiry, it gave me a framework to examine what I had intuitively been practicing: a recognition that our bodies and minds are deeply attuned to our surroundings.
How has integrating neuroaesthetic principles changed your approach to architecture and design?
It has sharpened my focus, and strengthened my belief in architecture as a collaborator in human experience. Neuroaesthetics helps me translate intuition into evidence-based design—whether through color, proportion, material, sequence of space , or psycho-spatial cues—to create environments that make people feel more whole, more connected, and more alive.
Installation view of “Bobby Anspach: Everything is Change” (2025). Photo: Pernille Loof.
What was your first encounter with Bobby Anspach's work, and how did it resonate with you?
When I first saw Bobby’s work, I recognized immediately that he was tapping into something universal—the implicit knowledge we all carry about how we are impacted by others and by our surroundings, and vice versa. I saw both a playfulness and a profound wisdom about connection, one that contemporary society often distances us from.
In your upcoming talk, you'll be discussing how Bobby's "Place for Continuous Eye Contact" machines create opportunities for grounding connection. Can you elaborate on the neurological mechanisms at play in these installations?
Sustained eye contact activates the social brain. It heightens activity in the mirror neuron system, which is central to empathy, and engages the parasympathetic nervous system, calming us and creating a sense of safety. What Bobby understood, whether intuitively or through practice, was that this simple act could reawaken our capacity for connection, grounding us in a shared humanity.
Bobby was deeply interested in creating transcendental experiences that would inspire action on urgent issues like climate change. How does this align with your philosophy that "form follows feeling"?
It aligns completely. My philosophy begins with the idea that if we feel connected—whether to each other, to ourselves, or to the planet—we will act with care. Bobby’s work makes this leap visible: it uses form to create feeling, and then invites that feeling to become action.
You've said that neuroaesthetics underpins every Reddymade project. How do you practically apply these principles when designing spaces?
We begin by asking: what do we want this space to make possible in terms of feeling and experience? From there, we look to available research in neuroscience , psychology and cognitive science to understand what design choices best support that possibility. That could mean curating acoustics that lower stress, using natural materials that engage the senses, or shaping light to amplify mood. The principles are always embedded in design decisions, but the outcome is an experience that feels intuitive, even if the science is behind the scenes.
Your work with Google's "A Space for Being" demonstrated how environments can affect us. What parallels do you see between that project and Bobby's vision for his machines?
Both projects were experiments in embodied knowledge. With Google, we showed how different sensory environments measurably shifted people’s physiological responses. Bobby’s machines do something similar on an interpersonal level: they make people aware of the impact of presence and attention, and teach them something about themselves. In both cases, the power lies in bringing implicit knowing into conscious awareness.
In the context of "Everything is Change," how do you see Bobby's work contributing to our understanding of how art can create neurological and emotional transformation?
His work shows that our environments can transform us. Something as elemental as sustained eye contact can reorganize our nervous system, change how we perceive ourselves and others, and create an emotional opening. That’s the essence of neuroaesthetics: interventions that change how we feel, and therefore can influence how we act.
Your Newport talk will explore "the power of place." How do you think the Victorian mansion setting of Newport Art Museum interacts with Bobby's contemporary, interactive installations?
The Newport Art Museum’s Victorian mansion is itself a testament to how spaces were once designed for communing—every detail, from ornament to proportion, was crafted with extraordinary care to shape how people experienced being together. You can feel that intentionality in the building, and Bobby’s contemporary, interactive installations resonate powerfully with it. His work extends the mansion’s original spirit into the present, reminding us that whether through historic architecture or contemporary art, design at its best creates conditions for belonging, connection, and shared experience.
What role do you think museums and cultural institutions play in creating the kind of transformative experiences Bobby envisioned?
Museums can be places where people encounter not only art but themselves, reflected and reframed. When institutions embrace the responsibility to create experiences that go beyond intellectual engagement into emotional and neurological impact, they become sites of transformation and catalysts for social change.
Bobby believed his work could reach people in positions of power and inspire them to protect humanity and the planet. How do you see neuroaesthetics contributing to this kind of social change?
Neuroaesthetics helps us design for empathy. If we can create environments and experiences that reconnect leaders—or anyone—to their embodied sense of connection, we can foster decisions rooted in care rather than detachment. The more we design for feeling, the more likely we are to create a world shaped by compassion and responsibility.
What do you hope visitors will take away from your talk about the intersection of Bobby's work and neuroaesthetic principles?
I hope they leave with a sense that connection is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Bobby’s work, and the science of neuroaesthetics, remind us of a base knowledge we all share: what makes us feel whole, safe, and inspired to act. And that this knowledge can—and must—be built into the world we design.
How do you see the Bobby Anspach Studios Foundation's mission aligning with the broader movement to understand art's impact on human well-being?
The Foundation is carrying forward Bobby’s vision by situating art not just as expression but as transformation. That mission is deeply aligned with the growing recognition—in science, design, and culture—that art is central to human flourishing. It’s about reminding us of what we already know in our bones, and ensuring that knowledge shapes the future.
