Neurofeedback as a medium of digital portraiture

I wanted to share this photo again as I particularly like this mediation of my artwork ‘The Phrontesterion’ –  it captures the essence of biofeedback / neurofeedback in a digitally enabled and augmented portraiture medium, with a nod to the classic genres in painting, sculpture and observation / witness / patient ( by the next participant waiting in the wings ) We the audience witness the fleeting changes from Beta, Alpha and Theta into Hypnagogic brainwaves undulate on a screen, as the percipient, the solo audience member being monitored engages in a discrete interaction with the sound of their own thoughts, frontal lobe decisions and potential surreal reveries sonified !

I find the whole experience quite intimate, and I interview each person afterwards. This was in The East Wing of The Royal Academy in 2015 during ‘Lates’, one of my favourite evenings ever as an artist.

The Phrontesterion : inside an installation steered by your brainwaves

See and head the outcomes here as 10 minutes is compressed to 1 minute 43 seconds, all sounds are triggered by EEG and all Entoptic and Phosphene ephemeral visuals are experienced by the percipient in the dentist chair, behind closed eyelids.

The artwork involves a brainwave monitor, so all the sounds heard are modulated and controlled via the participant – their EEG signal is being recorded in realtime and output as dynamic changes and interaction within a sonic score. A sonification we can hear manifests, as do ‘Entoptic’ patterns, phosphenes and many ‘non-linear narratives’ making a unique phenomenal artwork for each participant (their eyes are closed, and they are wearing headphones in a dentist chair). The Phrontesterion is driven by their brain’s response to a Theta wave (4-8 Hz) entrainment protocol by lights (PandoraStar & Dreamachine), in return they receive access to subconscious idling, reveries and tranquility.

The video was captured by Go Pro and shows the 10 minute experience condensed to one minute.. the following visual analysis is the EEG of the participant made using IBVA software and captured using a 2 channel Brainmachine monitor ( http://www.brainmachine.co.uk) all the sounds are made from the EEG controlling the score, custom Brain Switch Audio Unit plugins are in the library to enable this for each frequency bandwidth from the Left and Right sides of the frontal region ( FP1 and FP2 )

Field & feedback recordings within EEG controlled soundscape

Experience your brainwaves remixing you a curious field and feedback recordings comprising previous particiapants stories in the special soundscape. Your EEG : Delta, Theta, Alpha and Beta brainwave frequencies changing in realtime from your reactions to the light, they can control, hide and modulate various layers within the piece. So you can hear your Sonified EEG in my installation ‘#The_Phrontesterion’ within this group show.

Hours of opening for me are 6-10pm opening day thursday 22nd, then friday 23rd 5pm-9pm, saturday 24th 5-10pm, sunday 25th, 2pm-6pm.

Ugly Duck, 47-49 Tanner Street, London, SE1 3PL

 

New Sounds & new smells to relax, aid memory and reflect your responses (!) – the latest Phrontesterion requests your participation in The Ugly Duck next week (free) …

 

Using PandoraStar and Dreamachine to access your Reveries and Subconscious in one of the factory rooms on the first floor, .. with projected EEG for the audience to see during each personal session in the dentist chair.

www.uglyduck.org.uk/real-virtual-festival/

 

( sorry but no brainwave analysis or personal recordings are possible during this live art experience ) – photos / videos permitted, all are welcome

Phrontesterion – ASMR, EEG, Strobes : June 22-25

New Sounds & new smells (!) – the latest Phrontesterion requests your participation in The Ugly Duck next week (free) … launch party Thursday 22nd, then open friday-sunday, I am open 5pm-9pm/close each day. Using PandoraStar and Dreamachine to access your Reveries and Subconscious in one of the factory rooms on the first floor, .. with projected EEG
( sorry but no brainwave analysis or personal recordings are possible during this live art experience ) – photos / videos permitted, all are welcome

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22-25 June – Phrontesterion in The UglyDuck ‘Real Virtual’

Come to Bermondsey, to the Ugly Duck warehouse for ‘Real Virtual’ show of artists exploring alternative realities through art and technology  and on the 1st floor for 4 days ( 5pm-9pm-10pm close, Sunday 1pm-6pm closing ) I am inside the Phrontesterion, its second showing in London this year – you need to take part one at a time, allow 25 minutes if its busy. A new brainwave triggered interactive sound experience with your eyes closed in a dentist chair,, using flashing lights so not suitable if you have migraines ever or photosensitive epilepsy.

 

Open Senses symposium

This friday 19th May I am showing my syncretic, participatory artwork in its latest version ‘The Phronteserion’ between 3 and 9pm in The Institute of Philosophy, Bloomsbury, London.

The Open Senses Symposium brings together an interdisciplinary group of practitioners and artists exploring sensory practice. The event features exhibition stalls, panel discussions, pop-up talks and experiences showcasing work in academia, inclusive practice, scent, food, medicine, theatre, music, law, restaurants, typography, dance … and more @OpenSensesUK

The goal of the Symposium is to challenge, demonstrate and interrogate how sensory practice is capable of building greater connection to the world, our environment, the people around us and ourselves, #OpenSenses2017

In this interactive, participatory artwork #The_Phrontesterion, the EEG entirely controls the soundtrack in a feedback loop – the brainwaves of participants are monitored whilst experiencing a dynamically choreographed stroboscopic wellness lamp. As well as this a ‘#Dreamachine’ sets the tempo – this classic kinetic sculpture spinning atop a record player invoking the phenomena Flicker (brainwaves slow to 8-10 hz cycles) via a process of simple neurofeedback. Emergent sonic-guides and voices recede, new ideas come to the fore, in a secluded space, importantly with their eyes closed, reclined in an air-pumped dentist chair, they float back down, where time disappeared – experiencing reverie. Experience rejuvenation, hypnotic time distortion, refreshed creativity and ‘nonlinear thinking’.

The Phrontesterion will be at Open Senses Symposium, London

Hosted by The Institute of Philosophy – Friday 19th May 2017, The Phrontesterion to feature in ‘The Open Senses Symposium’ bringing a weekend of art and science events to the capital.

I will bring The Phrontesterion into The Open Senses Symposium for one day only.
Come experience enhanced Theta waves and your subsequent Reveries in the oil-filled, air powered dentist chair whilst your brainwaves are monitored and create your own unique soundscape. You will be guided by a flickering Dreamachine with your eyes closed, and interviewed by the artist afterwards to discover if you saw Entoptic patterns, phosphenes, form constants, visions and new ideas .