Polymorfs projects are all about the now, the (post-)human condition and relationships between humans and technology.
Polymorf is an interdisciplinary Dutch design collective. In their work they engage audiences by creating fully embodied immersive experiences. As an interdisciplinary cross media collective Polymorf designs by any media necessary. This is reflected in their body of work, which consists of VR experiences, theatrical performances, and installation pieces. In their currents projects they explore the possibilities for scent and touch to create multi-sensory strategies for story and experience design. By directly influencing the affective response, Polymorf incorporates the viscerally of meaning in their designs. Polymorfs projects reflect on the now, the (post-)human condition and relationships between humans and technology.
At Playgrounds Blend they will exhibit their installation Thermocorpus. Thermocorpus is a full body suit where heat and cold can be distributed strategically to create immersive experiences. It consists of over 700 ‘pixels’ which van be switched from hot to cold and back in a manner of seconds.
Temperature has a very powerful influence on your mood. Cold can leave the body chilled or even paralysed. Heat works as a stimulant but too much can have an apathetic effect. Research done at the Aalto University in Helsinki confirms how emotions not only adjust our mental but also our bodily states. So for instance, a feeling of love shows a remarkable distribution of heat whereas depression leaves the body cold. Polymorf reverses this process by designing a suit that allows for a thermic distribution in order to design emotional experiences. By thermally stimulating different parts of the body, embodied emotional responses are triggered in the body of the visitor. As a storytelling tool this suit allows for creating a fully embodied emotional experiences.