Wearable crisis management

The “Millefiore Effect” group (Jessica Findley, Margot Jacobs and Ralph Borland) invites people to play at conflict. In their FRONT project, two people wear ceremonial conflict-suits which inflate in response to their shouts and growls.
Each suit has two systems of air sacs, one for aggressive and the other, for defensive response.

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Microphones in the suits react to the volume of the wearer’s voice and fans cause the offensive air sacs to inflate, along with the other participant’s defensive sacs.

Wearing the suits is a cathartic experience that helps releases aggression. However, Front’s function is rather disarming – it’s hard to remain serious in such an odd and humorous engagement.