Imagine this; you walk into a large hall. Inside this hall is a new and strange art installation with large metal plates suspended overhead tapping out rhythmic patterns. Then you are told that these patterns are controlled by your very own brainwaves.
But wait, there’s more. In order for all of this to work, you’ll need to don headgear resembling a sci-fi torture device to access your brain’s activity. You might think you’ve fallen into a drug-induced trance and wandered into some dark and secret backroom at a Star Trek convention. But no, this is Staalhemel.
Staalhemel (Steel Sky) is an interactive installation created by Christoph de Boec that uses headgear developed by Europe’s leading electronics research center to capture and transmit the visitor’s brain activity.
A computer then analyzes this activity and translates them into signals that differ in frequency and volume. The information is sent to the apparatus above where tiny electronic hammers strike the metal plates.
It’s a very cool looking installation. Clean and sleek. However, it seems only one person at a time can experience it. I can imagine this would cause some logistical issues for the venue, but it makes sense.
A single person’s random thoughts are hard enough to translate. A group’s mental symphony would be far too cacophonous to bear. On a side note; I wonder what the girl at 2:00 into the video is thinking to make the plates go so crazy.
Staalhemel debuted on October 1, 2009 in Leuven, Belgium as part STUK. It will be featured throughout 2010 in various locations.
Go to staalhemel.com/presentations for details.
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Staalhemel
