Listening to Yourself and Engaging with the Environment by Anqi Deng

Introduction

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-10-31 22:44:56 UTC

Sound is one of the mediums that connects everything. In most cases, people communicate with each other through sound, establish connections with their environment through sound, and even different environments can be connected through sound. But when language is no longer the medium, what does it sound like when you are in this environment?

Heart Rate Variability(HRV)

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-10-31 22:45:51 UTC

A study conducted at the Brain & Mind Research Institute has revealed a close relationship between social anxiety and decreased heart rate variability (HRV). HRV refers to the variations in successive heartbeat intervals or, in simpler terms, the fluctuations in heart rate. It is determined by the differences in duration between two consecutive R-R intervals, which represent the tiny variances between one heartbeat and the next. If the intervals between two heartbeats are relatively consistent, HRV is lower, whereas if there is greater variability in the intervals, HRV is higher.

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-02 11:09:45 UTC

Apart from language, what sounds can people make to express their physical or mental states?

Breathing

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-03 14:53:03 UTC

Joints

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-04 17:44:17 UTC

Heartbeat

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-04 17:44:46 UTC

Reference

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 12:39:18 UTC

1: Alvares, G.A. et al. (2013) ‘Reduced Heart Rate Variability in Social Anxiety Disorder: Associations with Gender and Symptom Severity’, PLoS ONE. Edited by L. Fontenelle, 8(7), p. e70468. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070468.

2.Doc Childre, R.M. (2004) ‘The Grateful Heart’, The Psychology of Gratitude, pp. 230–256. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195150100.003.0012.

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Question 1

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:42:05 UTC

What are the ways to create a genuine emotional expression environment in communication that goes beyond social etiquette, enabling people to better understand the emotions within themselves?

Question 2

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:42:46 UTC

How can we facilitate the understanding and acknowledgment of the authentic emotions and reactions of individuals with social disorders or autism, and how can we assist them in finding a more suitable place and recognition in society?

Arduino

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:51:03 UTC

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:51:13 UTC

Max

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:52:14 UTC

Initial design

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-06 13:52:46 UTC

In an ideal scenario, the entire installation would be covered with a layer of mirrored paper and a lenticular sheet on the outside. This way, when other visitors in the exhibition space view the artwork and a specific observer experiences it inside the box, they would not be able to see the experimenter's head. Such a design implies the status and condition of individuals with autism and social anxiety disorder in society – they are among the most easily overlooked groups.

CONTACT

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-07 03:00:03 UTC

Ins：@Angeldeng_

Site：anqideng.cargo.site

Email: soymilkcop@outlook.com

Installation

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-07 03:04:29 UTC

Due to space constraints, the ideal hanging setup had to be substituted with stands. This provides additional design flexibility on the stands.

First audio test

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-18 02:09:29 UTC

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-19 17:34:22 UTC

Test

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 15:52:16 UTC

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 17:22:08 UTC

The mechanism for triggering sound by the sensor is as follows: The sensor detects the person's heartbeat, calculates Heart Rate Variability (HRV) through Arduino, and then converts the HRV value into MIDI values within a certain range.

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 17:26:03 UTC

This means that:

The bigger the fluctuation in heartbeats = the more dynamic the musical notes = bigger variations in melody = more relaxed and appreciation state of mind.

Smaller fluctuations in heartbeats, or regular patterned fluctuations = relatively less dynamic musical notes =more frustration state of mind.

Appearance

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 18:21:25 UTC

Initial concept: I want to create an effect using a lenticular sheet where, when viewed from the outside, the audience's heads appear invisible.

lenticular sheet

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 18:35:16 UTC

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 18:40:26 UTC

However, due to the limitations of the lenticular sheet's effect, I have decided to create a stark contrast in colors both inside and outside the installation.

The exterior will be pure white, while the interior will be pure black, with the surface of the installation covered by a white fabric and plastic sheet. This represents the idea that individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder are often difficult to notice in society, and their inner voices are frequently trapped in a dark world.

Sound 1 - From sensor

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-21 19:02:32 UTC

The sound triggered by the sensor resembles the sound of murky raindrops. The choice of this sound source is not only based on its aesthetic appeal but also in combination with the large reverberant space environment of Dilston Gallery. This setup aims to create an experience where the participant can only hear the space but cannot be seen by others in the space, and likewise, the participant cannot see the feelings of other spectators.

Sound 2 - From microphone

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-22 00:10:56 UTC

The second source of sound is a continuous real-time recording of the pavilion, allowing the audience to hear the environment they are in.

Sound 3 - From natural

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-22 00:19:28 UTC

The third sound source is some field recordings of natural environments. The sounds of the natural environments are blended with the sounds of the human society in the field, provoking people to think about the different states of "I" in different environments.

About HRV

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-22 02:28:27 UTC

Our heart beat is not regular like the ticking of clock beating once every second. A healthy heart beat is irregular. This irregularity is desirable and an indicator of how ready the body is to adapt to stress. This stress could be bad like a fight with your boss or good like a promotion. When HRV is high, you can handle the incoming stress. When HRV is low you are less adaptable and less able to handle the stress.

HRV can be a measure of our autonomic nervous system and the balance between our parasympathetic and sympathetic branches. The parasympathetic branch is our “Rest & Digest” and correlates with a high HRV. The sympathetic branch is our “Fight or Flight” and correlates with a low HRV.

The Box in gallery

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-27 19:33:01 UTC

The sensor 2

adeng0320221_2 — 2023-11-27 19:35:30 UTC