Maria Kuptsova

InsideOut.Imprint is an artistic exploration focused on studying the emotions of the musician at the moment of performing a musical composition. Drawing upon the registration of brain activity signals (electroencephalogram) and visual programming technologies, the project offers a method of visual and tactile interpretation of musical pieces. This occurs through the musician's own perception of the music. The musical compositions "Russian Dead Ends" and "The Book of Sorrow and Joy" by composer Nastasya Khrushcheva were chosen as examples of contemporary academic music, showcasing a wide emotional range. Of particular interest is the opportunity to work directly with the composer, studying how emotions influence visualization.

 

 

We have developed an experimental logic for creating artistic objects, representing 'imprints' of both the played and experienced musical composition. This method allows for the creation of physical-digital imprints of each unique musical performance, by overlaying information about the musician's emotions onto sound waves.

 

In the initial stage of the project, recordings of musical compositions performed by Nastasya Khrushcheva are encoded into volumetric digital objects - 'sculptural works'. Their forms and textures convey the dynamics and unique geometry of sound.

 

 

^{3D-Printing process}

 

In the next stage of the project, the sculptural imprints of musical compositions acquire tactility in the form of ceramic sculptures, which are printed in collaboration with Danil Karamushkin using additive manufacturing technologies. Imprints of each musical piece become part of an exhibition composition in the Russian Museum. During real-time performances, the geometry of the sculptures transforms under the influence of brain wave activity information received from the performer. During play, the musician shows an increase in beta rhythm and simultaneously a decrease in alpha rhythm of brain activity. Considering the automatic separation of myographic artifacts, we can also obtain information about the musician's heightened concentration during the performance. Data on brain bioelectrical activity is transformed into visual patterns, forming a unique image at each moment in time.

 

 

^{Data collection during the performance of Nastaia Khrushcheva}

 

The InsideOut.Imprint project was developed as part of a joint exhibition project of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and the Art&Science Center at ITMO University, curated by Khristina Ots and Sergey Kostyrko.

 

Artists: Maria Kuptsova, Marina Muzyka, Daria Smakhtina

Ideologist: Egor Zvezdin

Sculptural objects fabricated in collaboration with: Danil Karamushkin

Composer and pianist: Nastasia Khruscheva

Technical support: Ilya Revin

Producer: ArtMix (Egor Zvezdin, Margo Bor)

Neurointerfaces: Neiry.ru