Tobias Grewenig - Emotion's Defibrillator 2005

Affective Interactive Instrument
The electronic sculpture, „Emotion's Defibrillator", responds to the cliché that electronics manipulate consciousness,that is to say, media are reduced to being the psychological effects of which they cause. Indeed, apart from their functional qualities, cathode ray tubes, projectors and
generally almost all of the electrical and electronic devices used in daily life have a subtle psychological impact on the human being. Fluorescent lights buzz and refrigerators rumble -- their way of making us aware of their underlying electrical, or electronic
(depending on the device) acoustic presence...

The spectator is invited to take part in this installation. He is given a respiratory mask, placed near the device and is connected via his left index finger to sensitive measuring
equipment. The spectator , now the
participant, then introduces the device into a sort of bell. At the height of the electronic wave level displayed on the equipment, he places his hands on two metal spheres that contain the electric circuit and that trigger
the device. The information supplied by the participant is measured and integrated into the data pertaining to previous experiences that have already been parametrised. The screen begins to flicker at 10 Hz, and six
loudspeakers (mounted on the left, right, in front of , behind, over and under the measuring devices) emit "binaural beats" in the participant's left and right ear canals, with
one ear receiving 10 Hz less than the other. In addition, artificial breathing, synchronized to the measurements recorded by the
mask, is also diffused over the loudspeakers. This noise pulsates forwards and backwards,
respectively, as the participant inhales and exhales. According to the pre-established parameters, an acoustical crackling cloud
fills the Bell while an electric current of the same frequency, light but perceptible, is send
to the participant's hands. He sees his own masked head as an shadow in relation to the random subliminal influence frequency. According to the intensity, a floating test card is digitally deformed and torn up. According to the values measured by the participant at the beginning of the experiences,flicker variations, binaural beats, breathing
or impulsions are created.
The guest stops the process by releasing the two metal spheres.

400 x 400 x250 cm;
techniques used for the realisation
hardware: pulse oximeter, skin sensor, breath sensor, electrostimulator, vga-screen, 6 satellite speakers, 1 subwoofer, ir camera, 2 computers [audio/video].
software: Max/Msp Jitter

More info: http://www.khm.de/~xi-bot/emotions_defibrillator/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• interactive
• art
• psychology
• cognition
• experience
• affection
• breathing
• pulse
• binaural
• sound
• current

[1992peter]

That was interesting.