Interactive Art as Public Laboratory
The Heart Library Project is an interactive art exhibition designed for presentation in hospital and health care settings, schools, museums and art galleries. It combines interactive heart rate controlled audio-visuals with audience participation to create a unique environment where people can reflect, explore and share experiences connected to ideas of embodiment, body-mind and presence.
Emotionally-mediated changes in heart-rate are used to influence the colour and sound of large, ceiling mounted video projection: a mirror image of the participant resting below – created with a hidden video camera. Participants see their own body as if floating above them – like a reverse out-of-body experience. The projected imagery gets redder in colour as their heart rate gets faster, and goes blue when their rate is slowing down.