Lines And EEG

Spektrum, Berlin, 2017

Lines and EEG is an installation by Vanessa Li and Joty Dhaliwal, mapping readings from an EEG headset to a projection mapped generative line design.

The brain can be understood in terms of electricity; when a neuron is activated and spikes, it's resting voltage changes and we observe neural functions occuring. EEG measures voltage changes on the exterior parts of neurons and allows us to guess at how a neuron might react (voltage spike or not). EEG readings observe a macro oscillation that we categorize according to frequency and label as brainwave.

This installation sought to illustrate this electrical aspect of neural activity and to visually represent these electrical movements to the viewer. Guests would wear an EEG and observe changes in the line design. Aspects of the lines were mapped to different brainwaves; an active gamma frequency would result in the lines multiplying, a beta frequency would result in the lines becoming wider, alpha would result in the lines becoming squigglier, and a theta frequency would result in fuzzier edges. Delta was not mapped. Guests could also play the aluminum pipes of the sculpture to see and hear the affects of the resonance.