The Reciprocal Brains Project by Walid Breidi:
Exploring the Boundaries of Art and Neuroscience
In the space where art and neuroscience converge, innovation knows no bounds. Walid Breidi, a visionary multidisciplinary artist, has embarked on a remarkable journey of blending new technologies with artistic expression. Through his groundbreaking project, Reciprocal Brains, Breidi pushes the boundaries of creativity and human connection by using brainwave data in real-time to create an interactive and participatory musical experience. Powered by the cutting-edge products of Naxon Labs, this project takes art to an unprecedented level, intertwining art, science, and technology in mesmerizing ways.
The Visionary Behind the Project
Walid Breidi stands at the forefront of a new wave of artists who are harnessing the power of technology to redefine artistic expression. With a background in composing and interactive installations, Breidi's artistic evolution led him to explore Brain Art, a realm where brainwaves and artistry merge. Over the past decade, he has delved into the world of brainwaves, crafting awe-inspiring artworks that utilize neural data as a core creative element.
Reciprocal Brains: A Symphony of Neurofeedback and Creativity
At the heart of Walid Breidi's innovative work lies the Reciprocal Brains project. This groundbreaking initiative aims to create a symphony directly influenced by participants' brainwaves. Imagine a collaborative musical experience where brain activity dictates the notes, rhythms, and emotions of the music produced. With the help of Naxon Labs' advanced EEG technology, this vision is brought to life.
Naxon Labs has been one of the driving forces behind the Reciprocal Brains project. The data captured from Muse EEG devices with Naxon Explorer and Naxon Emotions, developed with a deep understanding of neuroscience and technology, provide the foundation for Breidi's artistic exploration. By capturing participants' brainwaves in real-time, these devices translate neural oscillations into tangible creative output, bridging the gap between the mind and artistic expression.
About Walid Breidi
Walid Breidi
A multidisciplinary artist who uses new technologies as a creative tool. This enables Walid to create lively, participatory works that are co-constructed with the public. More specifically, the works he creates are based on the real-time use of the public's cerebral or physical input to create, control or modify the work. Through his work Walid seeks to establish a dialogue with the audience, moving them beyond the passive position they are usually in, and offering them the opportunity to make the work their own through active participation.
Walid started out as a composer for shows by the "Faim-de-Siècle" collective. Computer Assisted Music led him to create interactive sound installations and later interactive video installations. He has been working in the field of Brain Art for around 10 years. In 2017, with sleep artist Virgile Novarina, they presented "La Bull Paradoxale" which is the first work using live sleep brainwaves. Then in 2018, Walid created 'Sleep in the City', which is also a first in the use of brainwaves with the Internet. In fact, he already has three Brain art projects to this date. The Reciprocal Brains project is a continuation of his practice and his approach and it is the most ambitious one.
Examples of past work:
This is Walid's Youtube Channel.
Motivation: What goes on in the mind is the most intimate manifestation that we often want to share publicly either through language or through action. What would it be like if a group of 20 or more people shared an aesthetic moment between them, created by them, without saying or doing anything, just listening to their thoughts and emotions? How will the participants react when they put on an EEG headset and start creating in real-time with their brainwaves? How will they emotionally experience this shared moment with others? A shared moment that produces a relational artistic situation and a biofeedback loop. What the participant thinks will create music, and in turn this music will affect what the person feels.
Reciprocal Brains questions the neuro-physical concept of consciousness. How far can we go in relating states of mind to a particular brain wave category, for example Delta, or Alpha wave? How can neuroscientific results help in analyzing and mapping brain waves data to create hyper-instrument? We will try to correlate certain formations of brain waves to certain emotions. The research will explore in particular the space of sharing and creation thus produced between the participants induced by the use of Brain-musical-instrument interfaces.
Approach: Walid experiments with the idea of a brain-orchestra using hyper-instruments. This project adheres to the Brain-Art tradition in so far as it aims to use Brain-computer Interfaces (BCI) in the realization of the artwork. Tools like “biofeedback”, EEG data performance, data analysis, transcoding, and mental performance will be studied as well as techniques such as: brain event related desynchronization (ERD) or event related synchronization (ERS), event related potentials (ERP), and other paradigms.
Reciprocal Brains also necessitate the creation of a hyper-instrument in its intention to exploit brainwave data to play sounds and synthesizers. The sum of instrumental idiomaticity and the user’s sense of reciprocity with what the other participants are doing, together will contribute to the conception of a BCMI (brain-computer-musical interface) that can understand the person and that can measure the expression between the participants and measure all the rhythms played in order to synchronize them.
Introducing Chateau Éphémère: Where Innovation Meets Artistic Exploration
Nestled within the walls of Chateau Éphémère, a cultural haven committed to digital creation, artistic innovation thrives at the intersection of technology and imagination. This unique space, situated within the historic confines of the reimagined Château Vanderbilt, serves as a vibrant incubator for experimental art, digital creations, and the convergence of sound and technology. Propelled by the mission to foster collaborative artistic ventures, Chateau Éphémère offers an array of workshops, public events, and residencies that bridge the gap between artistic expression and technological advancement.
Walid Breidi's Vision at Chateau Éphémère
Amidst this dynamic cultural landscape, artist Walid Breidi embarked on a visionary journey that merged art with neuroscience. His objective was to harness the potential of the Chateau's immersive environment to cultivate a new form of artistic expression. Walid aimed to delve into uncharted territories where artistic creation and the intricate workings of the human brain intersect, a venture that promised to push the boundaries of innovation.
Explorations
Walid's project, named "Reciprocal Brains", unfolded as an ambitious endeavor, striving to explore the uncharted realms of brain-machine interfaces and hyper-instruments. Collaborating closely with researchers, Walid intended to delve into cutting-edge techniques that would enable the manipulation of artistic creation using real-time cerebral input. What set this project apart was its intent to tap into the very dynamics of consciousness, elevating mental states into a canvas for aesthetic exploration.
Intriguingly, "Reciprocal Brains" was designed not only to offer a distinctive musical experience but also to serve as an intricate musical interface. Departing from the conventional norm, which typically involves a limited number of brain participants, Walid envisioned a scenario where a collaborative cohort of 20 participants would engage in real-time creative dialogue. This audacious aim sought to redefine the boundaries of multi-agent brain art installations, challenging the status quo through the power of collective creative expression.
As the project unfurled within the nurturing embrace of Chateau Éphémère (June 26th to 30th 2023), the collaboration between Walid Breidi, the artistic visionary, and the realm of neuroscience began to take shape. With a determination to expand artistic horizons and a commitment to fostering collaborative research, the stage was set for a groundbreaking exploration that could reshape the landscape of art and innovation. This journey of merging artistic creativity with the intricacies of the human mind was poised to unravel new dimensions of creative possibility and redefine the boundaries of artistic expression.
This is a sound sample simulating 12 participants: https://shorturl.at/abGJU . The idea is to have different sound configurations.
The following screens are a capture of the patch that created the sound extract.
The Intersection of Science, Art, and Technology
The fusion of art and neuroscience in the Reciprocal Brains project exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of modern innovation. With the help of Naxon Labs' EEG technology, Walid captures the intricate dance of brainwaves, translating them into musical elements that compose an ever-evolving symphony. Participants become both creators and performers, as their emotions, thoughts, and neural patterns shape the auditory landscape. This artistic endeavor blurs the lines between audience and artist, forging a unique connection between the creator's mind and the listener's experience.
The Reciprocal Brains project by Walid Breidi, fueled by the pioneering EEG technology of Naxon Labs, underscores the boundless possibilities when art, science, and technology intertwine. This immersive experience challenges traditional notions of artistic creation and audience participation, ushering in a new era of collaborative, neurofeedback-powered art. As the project continues to evolve and captivate audiences, it serves as a testament to the uncharted territories awaiting exploration at the nexus of art and neuroscience.
In the ever-evolving landscape of creativity, Walid Breidi and Naxon Labs illuminate a path towards a harmonious convergence of science and art, inviting us to witness the symphony of the mind.
Naxon has financial support by ANII (National Research and Innovation Agency)
