On Friday, 30 October, we presented our first concepts to the other groups developing installations for Transfo Intiem. We had three possible directions and wanted an outside perspective before selecting one for our client pitch on 1 November.

Idea 1: Breath as nature

We imagined projections of nature across the walls, combined with interactive lighting. The goal was to give visitors a moment to disconnect from their surroundings and reconnect with virtual nature, creating the same sense of calm as a walk through a forest.

Idea 2: Breath as life

Across many cultures, breath represents life and spirit. In Hinduism, for example, it is known as prana, the life force that flows through the body. Life begins with a first breath and ends with a last one.

We explored this idea through cells and organic patterns, imagining wall projections that would change depending on the number of people in the room. teamLab’s immersive installations were a major source of inspiration.

Idea 3: Breath as connection

Here, we explored breath as a connection between the body, mind and present moment. Our idea was to hang strands of LEDs from the ceiling that visitors could activate through interaction, whether by blowing, waving or using a pump.

What the other groups thought

Overall, the feedback was positive, but most groups gravitated towards Breath as nature.

There was also a practical reason behind their preference. Another group was already exploring nature, while a different group was working with breath as a machine. Choosing the nature direction could create a connection between the installations, with nature on one side and machinery on the other.

This also made sense in the context of Transfo, a former power plant where the relationship between nature and industrial machinery is part of the site’s identity.

Beyond discussing our concepts, we also worked together to decide on a layout for the different installations. This helped us consider how each experience would fit within the space, how visitors would move between them and how the individual installations could form a cohesive overall experience.

What we took from it

The feedback helped us move from three possible directions to one shared concept. We chose Breath as nature as the foundation for Firefly Forest: a forest that breathes on its own and responds to visitors when they touch it.

We also left the session with a shared layout for the installations, giving us a clearer idea of how our individual concepts would come together as one experience.

It was our first opportunity to test our ideas with people outside the team. Their feedback gave us more confidence in our direction before presenting it to the client.

Next step

Present Firefly Forest to Transfo, gather their feedback and clarify the practical requirements around space, power and projection.