It’s the future. Humans have become one with technology. Devices implanted in the body are commonly used for communication purposes, payments, identification and accessibility. This experience welcomes participants to join an interactive multi-sensorial journey to The Unit, a freshly built residential facility on a newly discovered planet. Each room combines user experience, environment design, performance arts and NFC technology. The Unit is for those in search of adventure, exploration and feeling with many senses.
WHAT IS IT
A multi-sensorial science fiction experience. It begins at the Reception Center. Participants are identified by a Welcome Agent and given information about the journey. Participants are called in groups of two into The Transhuman Lab where they receive an external implant on their hands. The implants are required for the experience. After “implantation”, participants will take The Void directly to The Unit in another planet. Upon arrival, participants will go through the Identification Temple where they will have a welcome ceremony. When arriving into The Unit there is an official viewing of the place.
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
Participants get called from the reception room (in groups of two) into The Lab by the Implanter (character B). The Implanter will not use verbal communication with participants. There is an information board that explains how implants work. Participants will provide identity papers to the implanters who will go to a quick procedure and place the implants on each participants hand (externally). Participants will also ingest temporary knowledge capsules given by the implanter. Participants will sign the terms and conditions with their implants before leaving the room into the Interplanetary Express.
The spaces
+ R1. RECEPTION CENTER
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
There is a standing line for groups of two. This space is the first contact participants have with the installation. This is where participants are welcomed into the installation by the agent and introduced to the experience. This is a future where humans interact with each other mostly through devices, making human to human body-powered verbal interaction a symbol of luxury. This is an exclusive service.
Participants are identified by the Welcome Agent. The agent takes a DNA sample and gives participants paper forms with their identity. The agent also provides information about the journey ahead and details about The Unit location and services. Participants wait in the waiting area until they are call into The Lab.
SPACE
Separate tent. A desk and a human welcome agent (character A). There is a waiting room with 6 chairs in sets of two.
ATMOSPHERE / VIBE
Calm and mysterious. Information center. The feeling that the receptionist was waiting for participants to arrive.
CHARACTER A
The Welcome Agent is vibrant, welcoming attitude but professional and hard to really reach emotions. Character has modified body alterations according to future standards of beauty and gender representation.
+ R2. THE TRANSHUMAN LAB
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
Participants get called from the reception room (in groups of two) into The Lab by the Implanter (character B). The Implanter will not use verbal communication with participants. There is an information board that explains how implants work. Participants will provide identity papers to the implanters who will go to a quick procedure and place the implants on each participants hand (externally). Participants will also ingest temporary knowledge capsules given by the implanter. Participants will sign the terms and conditions with their implants before leaving the room into the Interplanetary Express.
SPACE
This is the first room in the tunnel. All white lab from walls to ceiling. An information sign and a table with supplies. A bowl with capsules in the color scheme of the unit.
ATMOSPHERE / VIBE
Sterilized, minimal and bright.
CHARACTER B
The Implanter is focused on their job and shows minimal human emotions. Fabulous white clothing from head to toes. White/silver make up.
+ R3. IDENTIFICATION TEMPLE
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
Participants arrive to a room with an altar where they are asked to identify themselves with their implants. A hologram lights up and guides participants through the water ceremony and welcomes then into the planet and ask them to proceed into The Unit.
SPACE
Full dark room, water installation altar with clear plexiglass screen and projector. Speakers.
ATMOSPHERE / VIBE
Mystical and personal. It feels sacred, intimate and personal.
INTERACTION
Implant as a passport. Participants place their hands into reader that activates a projection of an agent that welcomes them.
+ R4. THE VOID
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
Participants walk into a totally pitch-black room and activate the ticket (pre-loaded in their implants) by placing their hands in the ticket space. That will activate the sound. A voice will guide the journey and give participants instructions on what to do. When tele-transportation is over participants will walk out of the room into the next area, the Identification Temple.
SPACE
This is room 2 in the tunnel. This is the future mode of transport that takes you from point A on planet 1 to point B on planet 2. It is a pitch black infinity room made out of mirrors, stroking flash lights, speakers and portable fans.
ATMOSPHERE / VIBE
Trippy, lost sense of space, moving.
INTERACTION
Implant as a ticket. Participants place their hands onto a LED circle in the dark that activates a stroboscope light, sound and fans.
+ R5. THE UNIT
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
Participants arrive to the unit and a real state agent (character C) welcomes them and guides them around the unit. Participants will get to explore the facilities of The Unit and hear a pitch sale with all the benefits of living in this residential place on the newly discovered planet. The agent will demostrate how the kitchen/venidng machine produces its own food and participants will get to test a plant based future drink.
SPACE
The Unit is a geodesic dome. The walls are plastic light blue opaque creating a blue filter lighting. There is a living room area and kitchen.
ATMOSPHERE / VIBE
Cyberpunk, waporwave feeling.
CHARACTER C
The real state agent will help participants to imagine themselves as the new owners of the unit by highlighting the impact of living in the Unit on their lives.
INTERACTION
Implant as a payment service, ativates the kitchen facility to serve a drink for participants.
Yes, the implants are real but they can not do (yet) what they do in The Unit: we are speculating the potential of this type of technology. We are also simulating the implantation and placing the implants externally on participants’ hands. The implants we are using are made by Dsruptive and we combine NFC technology These implants can be inserted into the body with a syringe. The transponder can today replace keys, pin-codes, member cards and passage cards or key fobs.
Everyone working on this project is inspired by the future. We are all inspired by how the collective use of technology impacts how humans develop needs and services and how fast that process happens. We are living in times when the definition of human, as we knew it for a while, is changing dramatically because of digitization. The Unit is a way to acknowledge that process and create a world where we can feel what it would be to be in the process of digitalizing ourselves afterlife.
TEAM
Created by
Julieta Talavera (AR)
Art Direction
Elise Esposito (FR) and Loke Bird (SW) from The Bird Factory
Tech
Juanjo T. from Dsruptive wearable electronics
Sound
Alex Rundgren (SW)
SUPPORTED BY: Skåne Innovation Week