Assal Arian and Yves Kellermann during the Performance
We worked with New York-based artist Davide Balula for his performance project “Calories and Dance Moves for the Internal Organ Systems”. His work illustrates the dissipation of energy and the conversion of food into movement. We offered visitors an unique insight into the energy dynamics of the human body by combining medical sensor technology with real-time visualization. The piece premiered as part of the Night of the Museums in the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt.
Visualizing the invisible
The mechanism of internal energy consumption
We draw on many years of experience in working with artists and cultural practitioners, such as bassoonist Johannes Schwarz or multimedia artist Michael Pendry. This time we worked together with Davide Balula. His performance piece makes the interplay between calorie intake and calorie consumption visually accessible to visitors. It exemplifies the transformation of mass into energy and how it is consumed again by muscle contraction work. Every movement is the result of this energy transmission.
We draw on many years of experience in working with artists and cultural practitioners, such as bassoonist Johannes Schwarz or multimedia artist Michael Pendry. This time we worked together with Davide Balula. His performance piece makes the interplay between calorie intake and calorie consumption visually accessible to visitors. It exemplifies the transformation of mass into energy and how it is consumed again by muscle contraction work. Every movement is the result of this energy transmission.
The piece takes place on two platforms placed in the center of the gallery. Both athletes simultaneously perform a 30-minute workout circle including several exercises like “jumping jacks”, “sit-ups”, and “push-ups”. The performers allow themselves a break every now and then to regain the burned calories in the form of food intake, by pressing a button next to their stage. For a bite of banana, for example, they press the button once and 10 calories are added to their calorie counter. Then the process repeats itself.
The piece takes place on two platforms placed in the center of the gallery. Both athletes simultaneously perform a 30-minute workout circle including several exercises like “jumping jacks”, “sit-ups”, and “push-ups”. The performers allow themselves a break every now and then to regain the burned calories in the form of food intake, by pressing a button next to their stage. For a bite of banana, for example, they press the button once and 10 calories are added to their calorie counter. Then the process repeats itself.
To supervise and retrieve the physical data of the two performers Assal Arian and Yves Kellermann, we use the Electromyography (EMG) technique to measure the electrical currents in their muscle fibres.
The electrodes are applied to the relevant parts of the body to measure the current. These transmit the information via cables to the EMG, which amplifies the invisible signals from the body. The data is then transmitted to a box, inhibiting a printed circuit board and a lightweight battery, placed slightly over the hip. A heartbeat sensor strapped around the chest sends the biometric data wirelessly to the Arduino module. The signal is transferred via Wi-Fi to a PC running the corresponding vvvv patch.
The biometric data shown on the display screen reveal what is happening inside the organ systems. In addition to the decreasing and increasing number of calories, pulse and muscle activity are displayed in numbers and colored graphs on two floating screens.
Curious about our approach? Feel free to get in touch!
Sebastian Oschatz Partner +49 69 24 000 321 sebastian.oschatz@meso.design sebastian.oschatz@meso.design +49 69 24 000 321
MESO Digital Interiors GmbH
Gutleutstr. 96 . 60329 Frankfurt . Germany
Team
Jonas Häutle, Theron Burger, Johannes Lemke, Henje Richter, Ben Schiek, Sebastian Kujas, Sarah Schmid, Christian Leonhard