By Alison Irvine
Colin Stringer films Noah Blumenson-Cook in the MEG Machine
What can you learn from 6 hours in a neuroscience lab? Turns out, a lot. Imagine Science Films recently had the opportunity to accompany one of their new partners, Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), to observe an NYU neuroscience lab. In the midst of a sea of lab equipment, both teams strove to immerse themselves in the scientific world.
MAI specializes in long durational performance. No less than six hours. From Abramovic’s perspective, both performer and audience need at least six hours to fully engage in the experience. Similarly, scientists know the draining effects of long duration all too well. From endless nights in the lab characterizing multiplying generations of bacteria, to days spent at the chalkboard reworking algorithms and formulas, time is recognized as the necessary factor for meaningful discovery.
© 2010, Laboratoria Art & Science Space. Suzanne Dikker places an EEG headset on Marina Abramovic for “Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze.”
This was not the first time that MAI teamed up with neuroscientists. Inspired by her long durational performance, “The Artist is Present,” which premiered at The Modern Museum of Art (MoMA) in 2010, Abramovic collaborated with neuroscientist, Suzanne Dikker, to create “Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze.” Curious about the neurological mechanisms underpinning Abramovic’s experience in “The Artist is Present,” Dikker designed an installation that, with the use of Electroencephalography (EEG) headsets, was able to visually record both participants’ brain waves to find moments of synchrony. Today, Imagine Science Films was able to visit Suzanne Dikker’s lab to learn more about their current research.
Colin Stringer from Imagine Science films Jess Rowland at work
Video of Imagine Science Films’ visit to Suzanne Dikker’s Lab.
The Performing Science column will explore the relationship between the performing arts and sciences, specifically concerning innovative methods to teach science through performance art.
Alison Irvine is a theater artist and writer who recently graduated from Eugene Lang College with a degree in theater and interdisciplinary science.