Design Thinking

An installation about our lost animal senses

What You Humans Call North

Finalist project at a design contest organized by the Embassy of the North Sea and the Spinoza Philosophy Prize. Exhibited at Nemo De Studio, Amsterdam, in November 2020. Under the title "A voice for the eel", designers were invited to rethink our relationship with non-humans in general, and eels in particular.

Scientific studies show that millions of years ago, humans had the ability to guide themselves using the orientation provided by Earth's magnetic poles. Many animal species, including pigeons and eels, use this sense to navigate long distances during their migrations.

My project aims to "listen to the eel" and through the means of technology and human imagination, translate a non-human experience of place (based on the ability to feel Earth's magnetism) to human senses. Visitors wearing the helmet follow an audio narration and try to use their newly -acquired sense by moving themselves in different directions of the space.

The research question behind it is: can technology restore geomagnetic sensitivity on humans? Or even more, can eels show us the way back to Earth as a familiar place?

https://www.ambassadevandenoordzee.nl/what-you-humans-call-north/

Elements in the installation:

Modified motorbike helmet with Arduino, compass sensor, power bank and a vibrating motor disc.

Code shared as open source at
https://github.com/dangarant/wearable-compass

Built-in headphones.
Aquarium “glow in the dark” peebles.
Audio recording played from an online source.

Long long time ago you humans used to walk very long distances during long days and long nights.

The sun would guide you in the day. The stars would guide you in the night.

And day and night, something inside of you would tell you where to go.

Just like pigeons. Or eels.

Now, imagine something in your body could tell you where to go.

Please, look to your left. Did you feel that?

That’s what you humans call North.

Now look to your right. Yes, that’s South.

Walk two steps to the front.

You are still facing East.

Now turn right and walk two steps,

then turn right again and walk two more steps.

You are now facing West.

And now, please turn right again.

You are now aligned with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Don’t move. Feel it.

If you walk two steps to the front and turn your body to the right, you will be back in your initial position.

Do it. It’s easy, two steps to the front, then turn right.

Now close your eyes and imagine yourself as a baby. Imagine yourself in your mother’s womb. Floating. When you hear the crying of a baby, you will be born. One, two, three [crying of a baby].

Don’t open your eyes yet. See the room and the people around you. At the count of three, answer the question out loud. One, two, three. Where are you? I couldn’t hear you. Please say it louder.

Thank you. Now when I say the words “Enjoy the journey” you will start walking to the place you were born. You will walk slowly four steps in the direction of that place.

When you are done, you will be able to open your eyes and see where you are standing.

Enjoy the journey. One. Two. Three. Four.