DEOND, the studio co-founded by Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo, unveils “Enfold” pavilion in the public spaces of the Dubai Design District (d3) during Dubai Design Week from November 5th to 10th. The installation explores the concept of phy-gital therapy, featuring an AI-infused ‘second skin’ fabric that responds to the body’s condition, seamlessly merging the physical and digital realms to create a deeply immersive experience.
Founded in 2023, DEOND is a multidisciplinary practice merging cutting-edge expertise with creative foresight. Dedicated to crafting functional, beautiful, and sustainable environments, they integrate advanced manufacturing, interactive installations, and architecture to foster a sustainable coexistence between the built and natural environments.
A commitment to sustainability
The installation embodies biomimicry in its design, featuring an exterior that references the rough, spiky seed of nature while housing a soothing and regenerative core within. Its overall circular geometry creates a continuous sense of enclosure, symbolizing the holistic embrace that unites body, mind, and technology.
The perforated roof, varying in density and size, allows soft, natural light to filter into the space, shifting in intensity with the path of the sun. The entire structure and finish are crafted from corrugated cardboard, aligning with the exhibition’s commitment to sustainability.
Inside of the pavilion is the so-called phy-gital display, a volumetric 3D podium, composed of a cluster of transparent reflective wires and two digital screens integrated into the pavilion’s architectural skin.
The Body as Machine/Body as Garden
When viewed from a specific focal point, the cluster of wires forms a cohesive, flowing garment, the HUG (Holistic Unified Garment) bodysuit. This innovative suspension system replaces the need for bulky supporting materials, allowing the volumetric garment to float and interact with the light, enhancing the visual and conceptual unity between body, technology, and space.
Fusing Eastern treatment methodologies with Western approaches to science and technology, the HUG bodysuit envisions new forms of speculative tools that could help treat anxiety and de-accelerate the mind and body. Using Al and 3D design tools, the garment mimics natural forms and stimulate the triggering points in the body. DEOND explores how humans and the entire ecosystem could benefit if the duality of “Body as Machine/Body as Garden” were to dissolve.
A whole – a holistic environment
“Body as Machine” is an idea developed in the West that attempts to prioritise technological acceleration and considers a body as a vehicle that doesn’t know its limitations. “Body as Garden” enhances self-regulatory capacity. This perspective is nourished in the East, where the body is not viewed as a vehicle with many separate parts, but a whole – a holistic environment.
“What if technological acceleration could give us a chance to become closer to nature – to return to what has been neglected and forgotten? How can we envision embedded devices that prevent physical anxiety, acting as a protective, healing second skin? How should we merge technology and nature to bridge?”
— Ila Colombo & Deff Collective, Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo, co-founders of DEOND
Dubai Design Week
The Enfold pavilion by DEOND will be showcased during Dubai Design Week from November 5th to 10th, located near the waterfront in the public spaces of the Dubai Design District (d3), positioned along the road between buildings 9 and 10.
CREDITS
Project Name
Enfold: The Holistic Embrace of Body and Technology
Design by
DEOND (Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo)
Creative and Art Direction
Ila Colombo
Location
Dubai Design District (d3)
Near the UAE flag,
front facing the road between building 9-10
Venue sponsor
Dubai Design Week
(5 – 10 November 2024)
Bodysuit garment sponsor
Stratasys
Digital content
Deff collective
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