Metra Morpher
visual artist, immersive designer
Metra Morpher is an immersive installation and open invitation into the metaphysical wilds of pregnancy, motherhood, and the metamorphosing human body. Combining interactive animation and spatialised audio, this ever-evolving, live audio-visual composition becomes a co-creative maternal experience that transcends demographic boundaries.
The interactive experience not only supports, but is designed for multiple simultaneous users via 6 interaction points. At each point, infrared sensors track the presence and proximity of visitors' hands to conjure on-screen animations, audio effects, and gesture-responsive lighting. Here, physical presence and proximity are transmuted into a richly layered, multi-sensory experience.
Supported with development funding from Creative New Zealand, Metra Morpher is a companion piece to the short film Metamorphosis. It will open at The Dowse Art Museum in September 2026.
Early work-in-progress versions of Metra Morpher have previously shown at IDFA Doc Lab (2025) and Doc Edge Immersive (2024).
The installation space is defined by a graduated series of partial flats layered along the walls of the room. Through the entrance arch, visitors will glimpse a large single-screen projection where three unique vignettes, each with its own distinct library of interactive effects, loop continuously. Inside this chamber, the six interactive columns are surrounded by a seating area.
THE SPACE
The audiovisual effects are controlled via infrared sensors attached to Arduino microcontrollers. Two pairs of columns drive hand-drawn animation on-screen loops and spatialised sound effects, while a third pair of columns produces procedural colour and tonal shifts and visual echoing. Hand presence and proximity determines the timing and frequency of these effects.
INTERACTIVITY PRE-VISUALISATION
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