Interactive inflatable art analyses & interprets the mood of a city via real-time data to counterbalance tropes for fear & division. Neuroscience tells us that the same circuits responsible for hate are closely related to those that generate love & attachment. By visualising & humanising these mechanisms, I will explore how art can disrupt narratives of “us and them” with a new multi-sensory interactive installation; blending sentiment tech & human intervention - i.e. a living, breathing feedback loop.​

​

Imagine 2 interactive inflatable sculptures (dinghies) inflate & collapse (breathe) as they reflect the sentiment of a city. Live data sets identifying responses reflecting on migration, sanctuary & refuge gathered from publicly available & anonymised digital forums; will directly impact the behaviour of the ‘living sculptures’ and their coinciding breathing patterns. Smart (venue-sited) IoT tech (i.e. air pressure/heat sensors) & direct audience interaction, will be able to override the anonymous data sets & counterbalance this impact, by making a conscious choice to intervene. These positive or negative interventions will impact the sculptures – they deflate with tropes & inflate with human effort. Corresponding LED tickertape displays keep the ‘score’ between love & hate. By why love & hate? 

​

The 'Hate Circuit' explores the neuroscience of hate in the context of the rise of nationalism and the dehumanising rhetoric surrounding asylum seekers & “small boat” crossings. The work takes inspiration from neurobiologist Semir Zeki’s 2008 MRI study identifying the brain’s “hate circuit”, involving regions linked to aggression, disgust & judgment. Through this, I seek to humanise the headlines & invite audiences to confront their own emotional responses, exploring the neurological, social & political circuits that underpin division. I aim to translate the insights into a participatory art & workshop programme exploring empathy, bias & belonging. 

 

​