Olive Gingrich
The Crack, 2019
Unique print for the Art in Flux Archive Collection
Neuro-Art interactive brainwave visualisation using EEG interface | 40 x 50cm
The Crack (2019) by Olive Gingrich is an EEG controlled projection piece on a concrete wall that invites the audience to control cracks in concrete structures through their concentration. Cement is one of the world’s top two air pollutants. Yet research by Stony Brooks University (New York) has shown that by cracking up concrete structures, we allow its surface to absorb sulfur toxins in the air, thereby turning concrete into a material that absorbs air pollution.
The audience is actively invited to use their concentration as measured through an EEG headset, to create such cracks in the
concrete structure that surrounds them. The visual representation driven in real-time through a python script depicts sulfur crystals created through generative adversarial networks (GANs), using machine learning algorithms. The higher the concentration, the larger the cracks. Recent research shows the role cement can play in absorbing sulfur pollution, an effect that is heightened if the surface is porous or broken up. Playfully, the audience can take part in a mind experiment that reverses the role of concrete as a key polluter around the globe.
The audience is actively invited to use their concentration as measured through an EEG headset, to create such cracks in the
concrete structure that surrounds them. The visual representation driven in real-time through a python script depicts sulfur crystals created through generative adversarial networks (GANs), using machine learning algorithms. The higher the concentration, the larger the cracks. Recent research shows the role cement can play in absorbing sulfur pollution, an effect that is heightened if the surface is porous or broken up. Playfully, the audience can take part in a mind experiment that reverses the role of concrete as a key polluter around the globe.
About the artist:
Oliver Gingrich, is artist, creative director at MDH Hologram (musion.com), and producer at the collective Analema Group. Holding a doctorate in Digital Media from Centre of Digital Entertainment, and a MA in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins, his art focuses on the concept of ‘presence’ - transformative experiences that go beyond media. As creative director, he conjures the illusion of presence through holographic projection.
Oliver Gingrich displays across a range of different media, photography, digital art, acrylic on canvas and holographic projection. With the collective Analema Group, invisible phenomena are experienced visually, sensually, sonically resulting in immersive experiences for their audiences. In his photography series, the artist explores the themes of changing identities, spatial transformation and transcendence. |