nooka presents zonal - extending the body and mind at wanteddesign

nooka presents zonal – extending the body and mind at wanteddesign
‘audio membranes’ by paul loebach
all images courtesy nooka

‘zonal – extending the body and mind’ is an exhibition curated by matthew waldman of nooka and marc thorpe of marc thorpe design that showcases the company’s design philosophy of optimistic technofuturism. referencing the vedic chakras, the ‘zonal’ exhibition will feature designs by joe doucet, marc thorpe, luca nichetto and lera moiseeva, rem D. koolhaas, nolen niu, todd bracher and paul loebach that correspond to one of the seven zones: foundation, locomotion, creation, core, heart, head and dream. the series of objects will debut at wanteddesign NYC from may 16-19, 2014.

the ultra-minimal headset by paul loebach consists of two flat membranes – which function as vibration speakers – turning whatever surface it comes into contact with (typically, your ears) into a small hi-fi system. the device is cushioned with a soft foam and joined with a thin titanium wire, keeping the membranes light and comfortable.

‘highrise shoes’ by rem D koolhaas

‘the highrise shoes do not first appear as footwear, but rather resembles a scale model of a building even with scale figures inside. suddenly, giant feet go inside and the buildings become shoes and walk away. the highrise shoes are in actuality two distinct pieces that fit together, the support and the top, to create a unique design. the product is a play on the idea of architecture meeting fashion and scale, and questions: what makes a shoe a shoe?’ – rem D koolhaas

 ‘selfie mirror camera’ by joe doucet

‘selfie mirror camera’ embodies the core zone, ‘as a way of viewing who we really are and how we perceive ourselves to be,’ says doucet. ‘a clear expression of this facilitated by social media is the ‘selfie.’ the shape of the device allows for the mirror to raise itself to eye level when set down.

‘cosmic messenger’ by luca nichetto and lera moiseeva

‘cosmic messenger’ is a form of communication where an audio message is recorded and sent to space. the design proposes a new format for the old school ‘message in a bottle’. instead of the ocean, the recorded message goes into the infinite ether of the universe. the device features a set of speakers, and records video using a 360 degree camera. ‘the camera sends video signal to earth, so the user feels they are like a space traveler,’ explain nichetto and moiseeva. ‘sending his voice into space and watching it travel through the eye of the camera. his message becomes a part of infinity, and travels into the future.’

 ‘concept time’ by marc thrope

the conceptual sci-fi product finds itself available on the market in the year 2030. the wearable device displays the time in three dimensions via interactive holographic projection off the glass surface. the information is controlled, transferred and displayed through cerebral thought patterns. the band is bio-mechanically responsive to automatically adjust to your wrist through integrated biometric nano sensors.

‘fulfillment clock’ by todd bracher

the timepiece concept brings to the user the most extreme type of cycle on any wearable piece. instead of one cycle representing a second, hour or even a year, one revolution of the clock is supposed to symbolize an entire lifetime, a 72 year cycle. the piece, worn around the neck resting over heart, features a transparent face which allows the user to read the clock from either side.

 ‘unleashed’ by nolen niu

the built-in retractable leash snaps into place on the collar and is released with a push of a button on the underside. an LED displays vital information such as the dog and owners’ name, address and telephone number. it also syncs to iPhone’s with bluetooth connectivity and an app that can be downloaded to track location via GPS. the application can also be set to activate the collars’ ‘vibration training system’, a painless alternative to traditional shock collars.