DREAMS OF OTHERS

INSTALLATION
PERFORMANCE
IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTIVE

2024, Np3, Research:Gallery, Groningen, The Netherlands
Aiar Collective & Federico Murgia

"Dreams of Others" is a brain-controlled multisensory experience that took shape as a solo exhibition at Research:Gallery.

Performance
The audience accompanies a sleeping performer on her descent towards dreams, entering a dreamscape modulated in real time by the dreamer's brain activity, measured live with electroencephalography. As the sleeping performer dives into her memory through the medium of sleep and dreams, different stages of her sleep are offered to the audience to experience as a combination of brain-modulated multisensory impressions.

Installation
The brain signals of the performer during the opening event are recorded, and during the exhibition, the lights and sound react to these signals, thus making permanent something fleeting and ephemeral.
An extra room is a introduction to the experience. In this room are visible video recorded during the performance played on loop with surveillance aesthetic.
In a bigger screen the brain signals that drive the entire installation are graphically visualised and interact with a tridimensional model of the brain.
A standalone light display visible from the street reproduce with a different configurations of lights the same recorded signals in real time.

Interactive sessions
Members of the public, by appointment, have the opportunity to wear the EEG helmet and interact directly with the feedback systems used for the performance and installation. The visitors try to relax and fall asleep experiencing their own brain interacting with the system, showing how different people had very different signals and as a consequence different light and sound interactions.

Sound, neuroscience and concept by Aiar collective.
Installation design by Studio Federico Murgia.
Lights and digital videos by Studio Federico Murgia.
Software development (TouchDesigner): Boudewijn Noordhuis.
Sleeper: Anahita Malakooti.
Production assistance: Solomon Walter Kelly, Nicola Piccini and Jonas Westendorp.
Video editing: Nicola Piccini, Aron Bockting

Made possible by Gemeente Groningen, Amarte Fonds and Kunstraad Groningen.

Videos of the different stages

Interactive sessions

Installation

Performance

Window display

FEDERICO MURGIA