Please pet the animals

Special guests 2 sheep and 3 goats at Design Academy's Petting Zoo 2.0, where interaction between farm animals and humans was registered and digitalized. #MDW2016

To create a reconnection from contemporary distance to animals, students from the second and third year of Man and Communication course at the Design Academy Eindhoven created a project where visitors are invited to pet farm animals. This action activates a digital relationship that investigates the boundary-shifts between (human) nature and technology.

Touch Base, Design Academy Eindhoven, petting zoo 2.0, Fuorisalone 2016

The digital interaction involves the effects of touch on people and animals, and the creation of awareness through touch. Petting animals raises our oxytocin levels and lowers blood pressure: it also increases awareness, which promotes empathy. Farm animals are the core source of much of our nutrition yet to almost all city dwellers, they remain invisible leaving consumers in denial about where their food comes from Petting Zoo 2.0 includes special guest appearances by two sheep, three goats and of course, the occasional human.

The students involved (Vito Boeckx, Luca Claessens, Yi-Ting Lee, Carl Rethmann, Joep Truijen, Armands Vecvanags) conceived this project together with Ryan Pescatore Frisk, Sjef Fransen and Catelijne van Middelkoop.