Thoughts and emotions are the most intimate parts of people. They are the only thing that is completely individual and even if sometimes the individual acts differently than they would like, he or she is the only one who knows what or how they really feel.
In the work titled Polarni sij, or Aurora, the author exposes himself and gives everyone an insight into his emotions. He wore a brainwave reader for a week, analyzed them and, with the help of machine learning, converted alpha, beta, gamma, theta and delta brainwaves into mental states such as focus, stress, interest and relaxation.
The brain is divided into two halves, so the installation is also divided into two parts. On the left side of the room, representing the logical part of the brain, a laser projector projects images that change color and shape in accordance with alpha and beta brain waves. The latter represent the most active or frequent brain waves: beta waves are present when thinking and during activities, and alpha waves are present during a state of relaxation. Theta waves that appear during sleep or in a state of severe fatigue are also included in the projection. The shapes are projected through a diffractive lens, which transforms them to resemble brain neurons.
On the right side of the room, which represents the creative part of the brain, mental states such as focus, interest, relaxation and stress are shown in the form of graphs spread across the entire wall. The graphs change according to the intensity of the individual mental state. Since emotion detection technology is still in its infancy, all graphs move like the wind, warning that these are only predictions. The resulting shapes resemble the aurora borealis, which gave the project its name.
Despite the fact that the separation of the cerebral hemispheres is only a widespread myth, it has been scientifically proven that the left hemisphere of the brain is more active in language expression and problem solving.
The work opens an insight into the author’s life and enables an intimate acquaintance with the artist. Through the installation, the viewer relives the author’s moods and activities at different moments. On occasion, the viewer can also become an active participant in the installation and reveal his thoughts to others.

Co-production RUK/DDT

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