Custom House Studios + Gallery // 26 Oct - 30 Oct
Launch: Thursday // 26 Oct // 18:00
Augmented Body, Altered Mind is a collaborative, interactive artwork that weaves a brain-computer interface with a projected audiovisual environment discussing the effect of climate change on people with lived experience of disability, with a particular focus on neurodivergence and the unique perspectives that these communities have on climate change. Augmented Body, Altered Mind examines correlations between the natural world, neurology, philosophy, and neurodivergence. By wearing a Brain-Computer Interface headset, the audience becomes immersed in evocative imagery and soundscapes as their brainwaves guide undulating, amorphous visuals and scripted audio-dialogue to shift and merge.
Augmented Body, Altered Mind at Westival is funded by Arts Council of Ireland Touring Award 2022. Augmented Body, Altered Mind was first commissioned by Carlow Arts Festival 2022 following a prototype Open Mind, Closed System for Carlow Arts Festival 2021. The work was developed further for The Earth Vision London 2022. The project has been funded and supported by Arts Council of Ireland, Arts and Disability Ireland, Arts Council England and Insight Centre for Data Analytics DCU.
The artwork has been co-created by AlanJames Burns (lead artist), Dylan Coburn Gray and Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan (writing), Michael Riordan (composition), and collective Ibragim (digital visuals).
Alt text for images:
Image description: A black silhouette of an individual stands in front of a projected heavily textured background. The combination of the colours resemble the pool of rainbow colours following an oil spill. The iridescence illumination merges from the centre of the silhouetted head bursting outwards in asynchronous waves.