WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD opens in London

ASMR (“Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response”) is a term that describes a physical sensation: euphoria or deep calm, sometimes a tingling in the body. In recent years, an online audience of millions has emerged, dedicated to watching the work of designers and content creators who aim to trigger this feeling in their viewers. They do so by whispering or eating, touching or tapping, and more besides. This exhibition, first presented in Stockholm, is the first to be dedicated to this feeling—and the field of creativity that is growing around it.

WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR explores the design story of an evolving internet movement through a series of forty immersive audio, visual, and tactile works. Step into an acoustically tuned environment and understand how people around the world are using new and existing tools and materials to navigate our complex world. Opening to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week in the United Kingdom, the exhibition also includes an interactive studio space created by Julie Rose Bower.

Participants in the exhibition
3Dio Sound, Andreas Wannerstedt, anoASMR, ASMRctica, Bark Films for Virgin Atlantic, BBC Radio 4, Bob Ross, Callan Waldron-Hall, Chiara ASMR, Chris Milk, David Bull, DPA Microphones, Dr Formalyst, FredsVoice ASMR, Gibi ASMR, Giulia Poerio, HairCut Harry, HidaMari Cooking, Holly Herndon, Claire Tolan, IKEA U.S., Jennifer L. Allen, Julie Rose Bower, London Review of Books, Life with MaK, Made in France ASMR, Marc Teyssier, MissASMR, Björk, Oscar Pettersson, PierreG ASMR, Sennheiser/Georg Neumann GmbH, The Slow Mo Guys, TheWaterwhispers, Tobias Bradford, UNO ASMR, Wang & Söderström, WhisperingLife ASMR, V&A, 슈앤트리 SHU AND TREE

WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR is an exhibition at the Design Museum created and presented in collaboration with ArkDes, Sweden’s National Centre for Architecture and Design. It was first shown at ArkDes (April 8–November 1, 2020).

Meridians Meet is developed by Julie Rose Bower in collaboration with Tom Wilson, Anna Cocciadiferro, Nathan Taylor, Dani Mayes, and Yosuke Watanabe. The ASMR triggers survey present in the exhibition is developed by Dr. Giulia Poerio, University of Essex and ASMRNet.

Curator: James Taylor-Foster, Curator of Contemporary Architecture and Design at ArkDes
Assistant Curator: Esme Hawes, Displays Curator at the Design Museum
Project Managers: Nicola Underwood, Justine Boussard (The Design Museum)
Exhibitions Coordinator: Giulia Cozzi (The Design Museum)
3D Design: ĒTER (Dagnija Smilga, Kārlis Bērziņš, Niklāvs Paegle with Martins Stark)
2D Design: Agga Mette Stage × Alexander Söder with Emil Andersson