Martín Vélez: Zen-Borg
Title:
- Zen-Borg
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
Artist Statement:
Zen-borg is an audio-visual, biofeedback piece. The idea consists in creating a musical experience that is directly influenced by the performer’s vital signs. By wearing brainwaves and heartbeat detectors, the data coming from these devices is sent to different parameters inside the music system. This creates a cyclical interaction between the performer, the sound, and the environment which then re-influences the performer and affects the outcome once again. The intention of this is to explore the implementation of a tool that was developed for medical purposes in a creative application. It also constitutes a personal exploration about how to embrace your limitations and take advantage of them. Heart surgery at birth set up the base for a lifetime interaction with biofeedback devices. By taking a personal element that defined me, and merging it with a lifetime process of becoming an artist, I implement the biofeedback paradigm. The piece is intended to be performed in a meditative state. Meditation is the practice of self-awareness and has effects in how we engage with our daily situations. Depending the state of mind and the heart rate, the piece will go from a quiet and consonant state to a noisy and chaotic one.
