We are Ava and Maria, currently studying in the Interactive Architecture Lab. We are interested in art, architecture and specifically interaction design. We have been focusing on the body as our main design terrain and we are interested in how new technologies will affect the body image resulting a new type of body – space relationship. In this series of attempts we have experienced virtual reality, projection mapping and soft robotics which have led to our latest project, Sarotis.

In the first stage of this project, we made a kit based on our studies of human consciousness and the effect of human perception on the definition of reality. We are on the track of operating series of experiments that are going to result in a paper in collaboration UCL Spatial Cognition Lab. Sarotis consists of one neckpiece and two leg pieces and an actuation belt. The belt gathers spatial information through live scanning and inflates the channels of the neck piece and leg pieces based on obstacles detected in space. It can be used as a navigation tool by blind people or in cases of low light condition.

In the second stage we are aiming to release a more expressive futuristic version of our project using a short film for the press release. Interactive Architecture Lab has a respectful position in the media and the projects published by it receive considerable amount of attention which we aim to achieve by this film.

For our prototypes we used silicone because of its softness and flexibility in our attempt to develop a soft extension of the skin.  Later on we discovered hydrogels, materials that are used in medical applications right now, who are considered to be the future of prosthesis.

 

We hope that in our short film we could express the idea of soft fluidic bodies with the use of liquids, make up and lighting creating a visceral artistic performance enabling us to communicate not only our theoretical ideas but also our aesthetic vision. We are currently working on building a team of various types of people for accomplishing this goal. We are looking for collaborators, art enthusiasts, models, stylists, fashion photographers, creative people. Our mood board illustrates the kind of atmosphere, feelings and images we want to achieve. Our key references are presented in the following video.

 

Detailed diagram

People needed:

• Fashion Film Photographer
• Stylist
• Special Effects / Prosthetics Artist
• Male / Female Model (For more information kindly advise this board)

Dates: 12.09.2016 onwards (to be confirmed)

Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, 140 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PT

Please send headshot or resume for our records to mariapaneta@gmail.com**

 

Related Academic Work

http://two.wordpress.test/sarotis-the-new-sense.html

http://two.wordpress.test/binding-softness.html