Pinch and Soothe

Scoring biofeedback beyond the interface, instead scoring interaction, social experience, and relationships across the body.

The interface is purely hardware (bodies with limited memory) so no data is retained in the device.  The biosensors consist of non-invasive heartrate, skin conductance and respiration sensors.  These sensors can be exhibited alongside sterile pads if the public chooses to clean them before use.

Each body has its own tone associated with its heart, breath and respiration.

Respiration is mapped to a clear pitch that fades in and out with the breath through the hardware synthesizer.

Heartbeats are heard as low pulses.

Skin conductance is a high, ethereal tone. Because skin conductance is a value that is not normally perceived or well understood, think of it like a volume knob for emotion, whether positive or negative, accidental or unconscious. It is particularly active during emotions of delight or curiosity, however it tends to spike and fall in moments of non-specific emotion, like a beacon for change.

Sounds are emitted directly into the headphones. The only auditory witnesses are the performers themselves.

The device itself is totally plug and play.  The hardware is intentionally fragile, with non-soldered wires visible – the circuitry is wired in such a way that the power sources are connected, co-dependent: if one half of the circuitry fails, the other will as well.

Please note that documentation of this work was partially obtained through social media, as the pandemic made the possible window for capturing human interaction with the work limited.