Samir Gangwani (b. 1995, Clemmons, NC) is a composer, performer, installation artist, and software designer. Their work has been featured at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Queens Museum, Panoply Performance Laboratory, Pittsburgh Filmmakers & Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Future Tenant, Bunker Projects, and the Glitter Box Theater.

Austin Marcus (b. 1992, London, UK) is a non-binary musician, computational artist, and perception scientist. Through art and science, they work toward a queer, quirky multisensory future. They have performed their music in Pittsburgh and NYC. Their neuroscience work is featured in several scientific journals.

reflect//activate

Austin Marcus and Samir Gangwani will utilize live-recorded data from an electroencephalogram (EEG) system to control video parameters that will be projection mapped onto a sculpture and an eight channel ambisonic sound system in Max/MSP. The sculpture will be an abstracted form of the human body sitting in a chair. A performer will be sitting in front of the sculpture wearing the EEG system. The multisensory combination of lighting, imagery, smell, and sound will both affect, and be affected by, the brain state of the performer, via the continuous EEG recording, and neural-sensory feedback loops will alternate with deep-learned progressive shifts in the sensory state of the room.

The smell will consist of a mint and hibiscus scent that will fill the room via diffuser.

The room containing the installation will be lined in foil both to shield the EEG system from radio frequency interference, and to render the surfaces of the room reflective and immersive. Low-luminance LEDs will line the room as well to play off of reflectivity and enhance atmosphere.