geyser

After months of sitting in my draft posts, it's finally time to share photos of GEYSER! Woo! The project was such a huge investment in terms of time, emotion and energy that I became a little fixated on the perfect way to represent it. After giving the project a bit of breathing room (and realising it's been just about one year since it's first inception), I've finally let go of some of my anal retentiveness on the matter and decided that it's time to release this baby into the blogosphere.

If you're a new reader, GEYSER was an installation I created in collaboration with fellow designer, Caitlin Perry and sound artist, Rob Bravington. It was exhibited at manysquaremetres in October last year.

For me, the installation was an opportunity to explore the physical environment as a purely experiential space. Once stripped of functionality and pragmatics, the installation allowed me to actively explore the emotional response space can evoke.

Thinking about space as a sensory experience, we were drawn to the idea of thermal bathing and how the experience of shifting from one bathing temperature to another, can heighten the way our bodies experience their surrounds. Using similar principles, we created three distinct sensory experiences and exploited the contrast between the three to deepen the experience. 

Where possible, I won't speak too explicitly about how the spaces were "meant" to feel, as I'd prefer users to find their own understanding of the space. 

The main space, which we approached as the entry threshold. Open, airy and white, visitors entered into a corridor of hanging white wool. Visitors had had to physically pass through the wool to access the other spaces. 

From the entry, there was a choice of two pods. Both pods were clad in materials to serenade and entice visitors to enter.

The pod to the right was a small hexagonal enclosure, clad in fringed, mirrored metallic sheets. The compact interior was lined with carpet, deadening the sound. More wool was suspended inside, sitting lower and packed more densely together. The wool hung low enough to surround the visitors' head and shoulders.

 

The other pod, draped in layers of white petals (referencing my memories of the floral pool at Vals Therme) had a small entry point in the back corner. Once at the opening, it revealed an intensely bright and reflective internal space. The walls were lined with a waterfall of metallic ribbon, the ceiling suspended with hundreds of light reflecting crystals. It was entered via a small set of stairs and users climbed onto a springy elastacised bed and experienced it lying back. Upon entry, the high pitched sound of bells was activated.

You can hear the full soundscape here.

 In other, very exciting news, GEYSER is making a mini comeback! We have been invited to re exhibit a smaller version of it as part of Makette - an exhibition curated by Kart Projects - which explores designers' side projects. Makette will be exhibited in mid July at the Design Institute in Melbourne. I can't wait to share the other designers' we'll be exhibiting with. They are truly amazing and we're so honored to be exhibiting alonside such talent. Stay tuned!

Before I wrap up this post, I must give a huge thanks to our key sponsors, Chamberlain Javens Architects and manysquaremetres. Thank you for your trust and support. Thanks also to Mance Design who generously designed, provided and installed the lighting. What champs. To our many Pozible supporters- we appreciated every penny you so generously gave. Last but not least, giant thanks to our team of helpers who worked patiently and tirelessly and inevitable found new meaning in the word "tedious." I will be paying you back. For life.

We feel so fortunate to have had so much support to help make this project happen!

Day photos by Caitlin Muscat. Dusk and night photos by Timothy Casten.