One of the to-do items on my list was a visit to the Design Museum in London. It’s been open since 1989 (!) but somehow I’ve never visited it. So I dragged Dear Husband along, and to my delight, there was a special exhibit on ASMR taking place. So cool! The hands-on (ears-on) exhibit is open until October 16th, so make plans for a visit now.
A bit of background on ASMR
What is ASMR? And what can you expect from the exhibit on ASMR at the Design Museum? I’ve been intrigued by ASMR since I was a little girl (although they didn’t call it that at the time.) I remember feeling funny and strange when my cat Tiger would purr in my ear. I had no idea that lots of other people were feeling similarly weird feelings!
Here’s an explanation directly from their website.
“Have you ever heard a sound that has brought you a sense of calm? Or even made your skin tingle?
Millions around the world are part of an online community who experience ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response): a physical sensation of euphoria or deep calm, sometimes a tingling in the body, triggered through sound, touch, and movement.
This is the first exhibition of its kind to lift the world of ASMR out from your screen and into physical space. Step into an acoustically tuned environment and understand how people are using new and existing tools and materials to navigate our complex world.
Explore the emerging field of creativity that has grown up around this feeling and the work of designers and content creators who try to trigger it in their viewers.” (from the Design Museum website)
And I love the name of the exhibit: WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR. Just perfect!
What to expect in the exhibit
ASMR at the Design Museum all very hands-on and wonderful. There are multiple areas where you can experience ASMR in all its forms- visual, audio and touch. And the best part was a big “pit” in the center of the gallery with plush, low sofas and lots of headphones. People had ditched their shoes and were relaxing in the space, enjoying the sensations.
Dear Husband was waiting for me, so I didn’t have a lot of time, but I did check out all the exhibits. And I kept the brochure, which has a great list of YouTube videos of some ASMR classics. Here’s a few to try:
And you guys know how much I love the V&A!
I won’t spoil all the fun- you get the idea. If you can’t make the exhibit on ASMR at the Design Museum, explore the concept on YouTube. There’s a lot to experience!
What else to see at the Design Museum
There was a charge of £9.50 (weekday) for adults into the ASMR exhibit, but the main galleries and permanent collection at the Design Museum is free. And there’s some good stuff!
I’m a big fan of typewriters, so I had to get a shot of these beauties…
So if you happen to be in London, make a point of getting to the exhibit on ASMR at the Design Museum. Well worth a few hours of your time!
WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR, through October 16, 2022
The Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG, United Kingdom
