mnemonic body
Mnemonic Body 2018
Interactive Installation
Matheus da Rocha Montanari
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The installation is constituted of memory-related objects and audio interviews about them. Through a heart rate sensor that measures the interactor's body emotional response, the Mnemonic Body reacts differently with audio and light to each visitor. The audio is composed of the mixture of two tracks: the first one is a constant reproduction of the stories related to the objects, the second is a copy of the first one but with every interaction, the visitor’s heart frequency alters the frequency of the audio, creating a dialogue between the Mneumonic Body, the interactor's body and the memories in them.
Since mankind learned to communicate through the body, they sought to use technologies as a means of communication and survival. Subsequent the motor development, speech, and writing, innumerable technologies were created to increase the capacity for survival: from chipped stone to the computer, in each historical period, these transformations took place and increased the possibilities of growth of the individual and of society.
One of the essential aspects in the construction of human identity is memory since it contains the history of a being or group with its interpretive, subjective, and emotional nuances. It can be said that the human being keeps their past alive through it, a concept that goes throughout periods and peoples, receiving new meanings, interpretations, and knowledge.
Although it is common today to associate memory with a computer data source, our memory is actually part of the organic tissues of our body and is intrinsic to our emotions. Even so, we find ways to outsource our memories using technology, such as through photography, video, and memorabilia.​
