SPA PEOPLE
by Katie Barnes, editor
Place them in a new [virtual] world. Engage them in unexpected ways. And using digital media, surprise them with creative, new interpretations of traditional treatments Tyler Pridgen creator, The Oddly Satisfying Spa
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yler Pridgen, an immersive technology specialist from the US, has taken his love of virtual reality and paired it with relaxation to create an intriguing spa concept. The Oddly Satisfying Spa features a curation of soothing experiences inspired by the rise of the #oddlysatisfying internet content which sees millions of people turning to YouTube and Instagram to watch strange, gratifying videos such as slime making and sand cutting.
Pridgen has created an immersive tech spa based on the premise of ‘oddly satisfying’ content
“The spa was initially formed out of a desire to create and showcase immersive art and technology that calms and satisfies people,” says Pridgen, adding that the ‘feel good’ content is also a response to digital anxiety. “We need a sense of digital wellness. Just as we only put good food into our body, we also need to put good media into our brains.” To further combat tech-induced anxiety, guests have to check-in their phones at reception. Launched as a three-day pop-up in New York in 2018, The Oddly
Satisfying Spa includes treatments such as a massage with a VR headset projecting corresponding, meditative visuals – as a roller massages the back, people watch a ball meandering through a field of tall grass. This experience was developed in collaboration with Motherlode Labs, an all-female 3D art collective in New York. In an ambient plant room created by Data Garden, a sensory device takes bio data and electrical impulses from plants and converts it into sounds via a midi music player. In a sand dome, people wear prism glasses while playing with moldable ‘kinetic’ sand to create a “completely hypnotic, unexpected and delightful” effect. “I know a ton of VR creators, so I spent time exploring a lot of different pieces and looking for work that was simple, meditative and relaxing,” explains Pridgen. “My team then creatively built out the space to accommodate them. We covered a whole room in fur and fur structures for guests to lie on while viewing virtual reality guided meditation, for example.” One of the most popular experiences, says Pridgen, is the Cosmic Sugar digital steamroom where people use hand controllers to manipulate 1 million glowing rainbow particles in VR headsets. The visuals are then projected around the room, which is also