TEMENOS
ART SPACE AS RESTORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
TEMENOS is an immersive light and sound installation with a big personality. Housed within a pneumatic dome, it seeks to create a place of respite from the world outside. Diffused Colour, visual rhythms, soundscape and tactile fabric tickles the senses, engaging attention in soft-fascination, fostering psychological restoration: encouraging reflection and rest.
The Experience
Upon entering TEMENOS, 4-8 participants encounter a glowing womb-like space and are invited to recline on a bean bag or relax directly on its fury floor.
A biomorphic weave of tubular structures suspends from the dome’s apex and comes to life: dancing with light that has been programmed and choreographed to a soundscape.
The organic form of the sculpture celebrates universal structures of communication and connection: focusing on the archetypal essence of these networks. This macro-familiarity, together with the joy that comes from viewing diffused coloured lights, wrapped in a retrowave personality: hopes to trigger a sense of Nowstalgia which has been shown to “generate positive affect, increase self-esteem, foster social connectedness, and alleviate existential threat” (Sedikides, Wildschut, Arndt & Routledge, 2008).
The experience is currently 10 minutes in duration.
Motivation and Rationale
Current literature reports a positive correlation between attention fatigue (which may cause stress, anxiety and burnout) and being hyper-connected to online social platforms (Shows, Albinsson, Ruseva, Waryold, 2018). Esthetika was therefore conscious of creating a group experience that restores cognitive balance within an immersive art space.
ATTENTION RESTORATION THERAPY
Esthetika looked to Attention Restoration Theory (ART), developed by Stephen and Rachel Kaplan (1989), to guide the development of the installation towards being restorative. ART has four main components that typify a restorative environment:
1. Being Away
This refers to being away from one’s everyday thoughts and concerns and includes being physically transported too. Temenos is an enclosed dome, which aids in building an alternative world for the audience to enter.
2. Soft Fascination
This involves one’s attention being engaged without having to direct effort into focusing on something (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989). When attention is engaged by less active stimuli, space and energy is created to restore, reflect and introspect (Daniel, 2014). Temenos gently awakens the senses and engages in soft fascination using light, sound and fabric without requiring the audience to follow a specific narrative.
3. Extent
This relates restoration to the way the environment encourages a feeling of being completely immersed (Kaplan, 2001). In order to fulfil this, the environment should be comfortable and somewhat familiar. Temenos draws on sounds that are recognizable and subtly weaves it with calming frequencies encouraging relaxation. Choosing to work with the naturally nostalgic retrowave music genre, allows the space to be easily identified in a fun and spirited way. The visual structure of the light installation is suggestive of universal networks while the dome itself is comfortable, soft, and conjures a womb-like familiarity.
4. Compatibility
This component requires feelings of enjoyment and the individuals consent to engage with the environment. As our process was rigorously play-led, we believe that a sense of playfulness will characterise Temenos. From the colour choices to the shape, size, and materials used reminiscent of bouncy castles, we hope Temenos conjures feelings of joy and comfort.