MindPlace ThoughtStream
Shana Moulton at 1646, The Hague
by Jeroen van der Hulst
The quote above is part of a review on Amazon for a device that is used to track electrical signals from the skin of the hand. It translates the signals into data to measure relaxation levels. The MindPlace ThoughtStream, is what is called a Biofeedback Performance System and serves as part of the inspiration for American artist Shana Moulton’s installation of the same name. In MindPlace ThoughtStream Moulton’s alter ego ‘Cynthia’ innocently explores ways to reach serenity and wellness. The viewer is presented with a number of items and videos, which help users to relax when stress or anxiety in disables them to do so.
The front space corresponds with the physical body. It is filled with trite objects and pieces of furniture, all of them looking somewhat welcoming under the warm lights. The color scheme is soft and some wall-hung knickknacks border on a tacky hypnotic shape clashing with their functionality. The center of the space is dominated by a large trapezoid carrying a colorful field of amorphous beads and a quietly trickling water fountain. The beads are taken from therapeutic foot massage mats, and in their multitude they look as soothing as an expanded massage mat sounds. The combination of all the items are confronting in their uncanny serenity. Front space, image courtesy of 1646, The HagueExternalizing the inner feeling of relaxation into items is not a new phenomenon - Victorians are known to have made several attempts at massage machines. The multiplicity of simple ways to counteract stress, on the other hand, seems to be relatively new. First there where infomercials for products on television. It is easy to be reminded of testimonial advertisements of a whole range of products or diets that were supposed to reduce stress-levels for a more balanced life. More recently, platforms such as YouTube provide vast archives of videos that somehow enable viewers to unwind, fall asleep, but also guides and lectures of first hand experiences in exploring deeper realms of the mind. In the back space the viewer enters these realms together with Cynthia. Fragments taken from a TEDtalk by brain researcher Jill Bolt Taylor can be heard as she explains her surreal out of body experience after brain surgery. This is followed by a soundbite from DMT expert Patricio Dominquez recounting what seems to be a hallucinogenic trip. The multiple projections show a more complex system of objects to the prior space. Some objects present in the space are projected alongside it in contorted, dancing versions of themselves.
Cynthia is seen trying out the MindPlace ThoughtStream. A whispering voice appears, soothing the tired mind of a fantasmatic lone traveler. This is a reference to ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) videos on Youtube. An often female voice whispers calmly into the microphone and starts guiding the listener through various relaxing scenarios. The illusory 'presence' of the voice should allay the listeners loneliness and anxiety and produce a pleasurable tingling on the body. Cynthia ends her search by drinking Activia, mimicking Shakira’s euphoric belly-dancing from the product's ad campaign. Back space, image courtesy of 1646, The HagueThe systems and methods Cynthia explores are for those “who have a hard time associating with their bodies,” generating a need for external evidence of their own capabilities. Isolating that sentence shows it does not have to do with the review of a quirky machine anymore, but of actual and prevalent tendencies in culture. Face creams, ergonomic shoes, healthy drinks, etc. adhere to this logic. The abundance of ways to remedy stress or insecurity can be read as a signifier for todays ever mounting anxieties. In as much of a way Moulton attests current perspectives on the topic, sci-fi films like Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) ascribe the same set of rules to a futuristic lonely individual on a quest to find inner peace. The portrayal of this is not futuristic at all, but a reflection of the many already available feedbacks. The loneliness that the protagonist in Her experiences is the root of many anxieties today. Anxieties that Cynthia tries to alleviate for herself. In a somewhat contradictory way the solitary and invigorating exploration of the self as mentioned by Jill Bolt Taylor and Patricio Dominguez is juxtaposed to the obverse of that same coin, being alone and wanting the presence of someone else. This is the feeling that ASMR embodies. Scarlett Johansson's seductive voice in Her is no stranger here. What can easily be overlooked is that an attachment to quirky devices or health products is not far removed from the consoling effect that platforms such as TEDx can convey. The many heartwarming talks on TEDx can be linked to the whispering of ASMR videos. Moulton leaves the viewer with a partially uncovered overlap between physical and cognitive experience. There the presence of a soft voice right next to ones ear should be as tingling as learning about ideas worth spreading, being by yourself without feeling alone. |
|
Pamphlet. Magazine - 2014 -