Symbiosis at SXSW 2023

Sun, Mar 12 - Tue, Mar 14  2023

Design collective Polymorf‘s project Symbiosis will be shown at South by South West Festival in Austin, TX. The experience takes place approximately 200 years in the future, after climate change has changed the world beyond recognition. This post-human biotope might be rich and teaming with new artificial or enhanced biochemical life: new genetically altered life forms, (chemical) robots, hybrid technologies, and/or autonomous intelligent systems. They are all sharing resources, habitats, bodies and information in inclusive way on the premise of: Symbiosis. The project debuted earlier at the Portland Art Museum, with immense success.

Get more information about the event and badges here.

Schedule

XR Experience Program in the Congressional Ballroom at Fairmont
Mar 12, 2023
11:00am—6:00pm

XR Experience Program in the Congressional Ballroom at Fairmont
Mar 13, 2023
11:00am—6:00pm

XR Experience Program in the Congressional Ballroom at Fairmont
Mar 14, 2023
11:00am—6:00pm

About the Installation

Symbiosis is a performative, multi-user and multi-sensory VR installation which redesigns the human body. It allows participants to embody the inhabitants of a post-human reality. After climate change has changed the world beyond recognition, the post-human biotope is rich and teaming with new artificial or enhanced biochemical life, sharing resources, habitats, bodies and information in symbiosis.

Polymorf is a design collective creating multi-sensory experience in the liminal space between art, theatre, design and science, made for and with the human body. Symbiosis, based on Donna Haraway’s “speculative fabulation” The Camille Stories: Children of Compost, uses VR as a theatrical and philosophical tool to design an embodied multi-sensory experience. Symbiosis is designed and produced by Polymorf in collaboration with Studio Biarritz.

Within the installation’s performative space, each user inhabits a specific symbiotic creature through custom-made soft-robotic wearables. The visitor are both spectator and performer, each playing a specific role in the storyworld, where they are engaged through all their senses not just sight and sound, but touch, taste and smell as well.

A performative, multi-user and multi-sensory VR installation with softrobotics and smell design in which the human body will be redesigned to research new ways of connection and kinship. Inspired by Donna Haraway Staying with the Trouble, in collab with PAM CUT.