Project Overview
‘MindFlow’ is an interdisciplinary project involved an individual’s brainwaves into a visual- auditory interactive installation. It is an immersive and interactive installation which joins a participant’ brainwaves to create a unique narrative. It maps the brainwave values to synthesiser controllers and the visual processing in Max/MSP. With a combination of liquid vibration and the projection of abstract mirror pattern, it turns the brainwaves into atmospheric sound and psychedelic visual art. Brain activity detected by a TGAM chip can visually and audibly reveal constantly changing consciousness of the human. This installation is not only to share and project consciousness in the public space, but also represents an analogous experience of ‘bodily disembodiment’ and ‘mechanical embodiment’ through split physicality. The biological characteristics are transduced into phantom entities of speakers capable of performing and interacting. Regarding biological characteristics and normal functions of the human body, this installation strengthens and expands their inner visually and audibly.
Following the theoretical exploration of Donna Haraway and Katherine Hayles, “MindFlow” culturally explores the complex interaction between humans and machines to discuss further changes within the context of post-humanism and cyborgs. I get the aesthetic inspiration from Gary Hill’s “Soundings” and Nigel Stanford’s “Cymatic” to pour the medical alcohol into speaker and sound with different frequencies will vibrate water in different forms.
Concept
The concept of ‘MindFlow’ is to explore and envision the complex negotiations and relationship among humans, technology and consciousness in the context of the post-human era. By fusing a cybernetic device and biological organism, this design implies that the boundary of the human body and consciousness are not only constructed, but also up for grabs (Hayles, 2006). Accompanied with the surge of deep music and the iteration of live visual effects controlled by human subjects’ brainwaves, it creates a triple consciousness state- a familiar self-consciousness and two seemingly independent states of being. The participant freely wander through these realities. It is undeniable that the new experience of consciousness interwoven with the art and technology brings the ‘pleasurably tight coupling’ stated by Donna Haraway (Hayles, 2006, p85); however, on the other hand, it arouses anxiety in relation to the cybernetic dissolution of boundaries (Hayles, 2006). Through two totally different perceptions and experiences, this design sparks the participant’s reflection regarding to what extent does the anxiety simulated by the boundaries’ dissolution transcend the ecstasy by the cybernetics? Situated in both the exhilaration and anxiety, participants are supposed to consider the potential threat generated by the cybernetic dissolution of boundaries within the post-humanism context.
