The Dream World and Metabolism of the Organism is a landscape of bodies that together form an organism. Visitors connect to, become part of and give life to the organism by breathing into an “umbilical cord” that extends out of its main body. The organism responds to the air it receives by shifting in color, emitting sounds and growing in size until it eventually rewards the visitor by opening up a window to its dream world.
The installation is part of Man Machine 2, an exhibition produced by The Interactive Institute for The National Museum of Science & Technology.
“There are a lot of primitive emotional stuff going on in the mouth, old animal behaviour… if you play for a couple of minutes, you might feel a little dizzy and disconnected from the world outside, maybe a little less human…”
- Matti Kallioinen
“The work can be interpreted literary: we need oxygen, interaction and engagement to survive”.
- Rikard Ekholm, SvD Konst
“It is obvious that the technology gives us possibilities to create illusions, especially if the technology is hidden so what appears are just the effects. The technology is always there even if not seen. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it just plays a game with us and sometimes it makes the impossible possible”.
- Björn Norberg, Curator Man Machine II
The Dream World and Metabolism of the Organism consists of nine inflatable bodies (five spheres and four cones) constructed of non flammable synthetic fabric. The designs for the bodies and the costumes for the characters in the video projection were drawn by hand and translated to 3D-models from which patterns were generated and printed. The bodies are connected by flexible ventilation tubes to four ventilation fans. Three of the fans assure that the installation can be inflated within seconds when a visitor blows in the “umbilical cord”; a thin tube connected to the large center sphere. The fourth fan deflates the center sphere when the visitor ceases to blow.
The airflow in the umbilical cord is measured by a microelectromechanical air velocity sensor and determines the speed at which the bodies are inflated. The soundscape that surround the installation, the color of the bodies and the frequency of the color shifts depends on the growth of the installation (which is is measured by ultrasonic range finders) and the airflow in the umbilical cord. The bodies are illuminated from their insides by green and red lamps and a video projection with accompanying sound fades in and out on the center sphere as it is inflated and deflated.
When no one is interacting with the installation it emits ambient sounds and slowly shifts color while occasionally inflating itself slightly. A spotlight illuminates the umbilical cord so as to invite people to grab it and start interacting with the installation.
Project team: Matti Kallioinen (Artist), Erik Sjödin (Engineer, The Interactive Institute) and David Kjelkerud (Engineer, Physical Interaction Lab).
The exhibition is on display at The National Museum of Science & Technology in Stockholm, Sweden from December 8th 2007 to April 27th 2008.