TACTimat
The TACTimat series are sculptures from which flexible, silicone shapes (buttons) rise. Their shape and grid composition were chosen to be aesthetically pleasing and to invite exploration through touch. The buttons rely on biomimetic inspiration (inspired by body parts, in the case of the first prototype each button is approximating the dimensions of human fingers. ) While the shape is mostly fixed, they differ in height, density, and tip profile. Most of these tactile qualities are apparent by just looking, while to discover others, like density and texture, one has to effectively touch them.
TACTimat Drawing of a Sensory Tool, Part of Haptic Research by Laura A Dima, December 2025 - 
The clearest validation came from children with a cognitive disability or ASD, who were first walking high on their toes – an ASD behaviour indicating insufficient stimulation. Once they engaged with the TACTimat, they began walking on the complete sole of their foot on the surface. Additionally, balance-deficient children happily trained their balance and a girl with a clubfoot trained her proprioception. Taller buttons, sharper tips, and a higher density of buttons seem to provide more intense stimuli. The research continues on the link between shape, texture and tactile stimuli in children with ASD.
Laura A Dima
Laura A Dima is a Romanian-born multidisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam and The Hague, in The Netherlands. She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2015 from the Department of Inter-Architecture and recently completed her Master’s at the ArtScience Interfaculty at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) and Royal Conservatoire (KC) in The Hague. Her practice bridges performance, technology, and academic research, resulting in multimedia installations that examine intimacy, touch, and digital mediation from a technofeminist perspective.
Haptic Lab
Our Haptic Lab focuses on tactile and proprioceptive research by challenging authority and established norms collectively, through ‘craftivism’ and parallel-play.
We believe that exploring touch and movement is particularly relevant to understanding and celebrating neurodiversity, as individuals with diverse sensory processing styles can offer unique insights. With the introduction of the costume-lab in 2022 we discovered the need for a space where this research can be done collectively. Alongside fashion and textile design, this workspace has transformed to include spatial design and traditional crafts, all focused on how our body experiences its exterior.
Information
- 17th December 2025 - 15th January 2027
- Tuseday - Friday 12:00 - 17:30
- Haptic Lab
