Organismens näringskedja och drömvärld (The Metabolism and Dream World of the Organism) The exhibition Man Machine 2 was organized by Interactive Institute at the museum of Science and Technology. I had the opportunity to work with an outstanding team: engineer Erik Sjödin (who also took the photographs) and KTH student David Kjelkerud (member of Physical interaction Lab). The user blows life into the organism. Connected through the mouthpiece, the lungs of the user and the organism become one big breathing sculpture. The air pressure produced by the user is measured and amplified, so that the organism is fully extended after 5-10 deep breaths. The colour and sound behaviour is also affected by the blowing, and by the organisms current level of inflation. The big ball at the centre of the organism contains the "dream world". There you see more evolved organisms, extending their own bodies by breathing. In their struggle for survival and power, primitive emotions come into play. Playing with the organism is like encompassing and being encompassed at the same time... As it grows, it creates an intimate, emotional space around the user coming out of his/her mouth as an extension of his/her own breath. This strange loop echoes the functioning of the dream world creatures, their bodies being direct extensions of their lungs. I believe this double-layered, loopy structure opens up for a trance-like, hypnotic experience.
|