Sensoria: a workshop on body and sound for artists

Main theme of this four day workshop is how to use techniques coming from the domains of biofeedback and psychophysiology in an artistic context. Biofeedback and psychophysiology are a sub domain of psychology where the link is being studied between bodily reactions (for example heart rate, stress or brain wave activity) and human emotions. Bodily reactions are hereby measured using biosensors such as heart rate measuring devices (ECG, electrocardiogram), brain wave measuring devices (EEG, electroencephalogram) and stress level measuring devices (GSR, galvanic skin response).16.09 Wednesday 11-17
17.09 Thursday 11-17
18.09 Friday 11-17
19.09 Saturday 11-17 
19.09 Saturday 19-22 (Project outcome and dinner)

As starting point of the workshop an overview is presented on how biofeedback was and is used by various artist and in different artistic contexts. Examples that will be discussed here include Music for Solo Performer (1965) by Alvin Lucier, Spacecraft (1967) by Richard Teitelbaum, On Being Invisible (1977) by David Rosenboom, Heartchamber Orchestra by Peter Votava and Erich Berger (2012) and EMO-Synth (2009 a project that was realized by the author). Throughout this overview
several ways will be extensively discussed on how to use biofeedback in different artistic settings. After this overview the workshop will focus in a second part on the field of biofeedback. This second section covers a hands on training on how to measure which sort of bodily reactions with which sort of biosensors, how to connect the biosensors to a digital system and how to read, import and process the measured data in the computer. Once the attendants are familiar with these aspects they are taught in a third part of the workshop how to use the biosensors in their own artistic practice. This can be a musical context, context of multimedia or installation art as well as the context performance or visual art. Software that is used throughout the third part of the workshop is Pure Data, MAX/Msp and Processing. After a thorough introduction and practical sessions each attendant will be giving the opportunity to elaborate and realize an own artistic project which integrates biofeedback. On the final day the workshop is concluded with a presentation moment where the projects that are created during the workshop can be presented to the public.