“The Surtsey Eyeland was a project initiated by me, Romain Blondel and Clémence Célérier—two fellow designers—for my master’s degree in design and digital creation at the École Estienne in Paris. The project is inspired by Surtsey, a protected island in Iceland that formed from a volcanic eruption in 1963 and has remained untouched by human activity. We designed about 50 hybrid species for the island, combining elements from the Memphis movement, contemporary urban furniture and triadic ballet geometry. Crafted from brass, silver and various machined materials, these artificial creatures populate the island with characteristics borrowed from the living world. We allow the audience to become an observer and experience the island through immersive olfactory VR, offering a 360-degree view that captures sights, sounds and scents. You can explore at ground level or in the air, getting up close with the creatures and adopting their movement patterns—it’s quite dynamic!

“In collaboration with Clotilde Dubernet, founder of multisensory device Olfy, we paired an olfactory device with the VR headset, releasing over five programmed scents throughout the three-minute experience. The scents convey aspects of the island’s environment, specific situations and interactions between species—such as burnt wood for the volcanic areas or synthetic grass and cotton for certain creatures.”