DATA-ART-SKILLS- art-oriented data visualization based on brain waves

The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) are emerging as a fundamental pillar in the industrial renewal that the European Commission is promoting in the current economic context. Among other challenges, the arts industry in the EU is currently facing a specific key challenge, a large amount of data is generated but not leveraged as part of the creative and artistic process. Artists are beginning to understand and take advantage of emerging technologies such as data capture and interpretation (Big Data, biometric data) for artistic exploration and experimentation.

In particular, biometric technologies are based on monitoring physiological processes and converting them into data. Thus, the source of this information can be heart rate, body temperature and brain waves, but also fingerprint or iris readings. The challenge is producing ART out of this data. In fact, PERSONAL UNIQUE ART.

However, these concepts can be complex for those unfamiliar with the technology sector. Technarte is in a unique position to facilitate this access. Its experience exploring the endless possibilities offered by the fusion of art and technology. Therefore CIDIHUB will be supporting Technarte in designing a digital skills programme centred on art-oriented data visualization based on brain waves. The experimental result, DATA-ART-SKILLS, is the central solution of the digital skills programme designed for Technarte and its current and future custormers.

CIDIHUB and Technarte have defined an experimental project consisting in the development of a technological tool for the creation of art installations through the use of biometric sensors in real time. 

In this case, the project will experiment with EEG (electroencephalography) sensors, this type of biometric sensors is marketed for recreational purposes and for monitoring meditation practices, essentially. The brain waves collected by these devices allow us to interpret our reactions to certain stimuli, such as, for example, a tasting in the context of a food fair or a promotional action.

This technological tool is integrated by the following elements:

• A headband device with EEG sensors that measures a person's brainwaves.

• This headband device connects via Bluetooth to a mobile application where the brainwaves of the person wearing the headband can be visualized in real time.

• In turn, this mobile application is connected by WIFI to a computer-hosted platform, focusing on real-time conversion, allowing brainwaves to be immediately analyzed as a source of data.

• On a second screen, the platform is able, through the implementation of advanced brainwave mass processing algorithms, to analyze and convert brainwaves into artistic representations as these waves are generated.

Interactive art installations come to life with the presence of audience. Digital art visualizations turn the abstract into tangible. People's biometric data, such as brainwaves, are transformed into captivating visual artefacts, revealing patterns and connections hidden in the information.

This type of technological tool is developed to incorporate a visual narrative, telling stories through the interplay between data and algorithms, weaving a new language of visual communication.

The tool developed by Technarte was successfully tested in a real-world environment during the Tropical Fest, a musical event held on 14th June in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Tropical beer brand.

The festival featured a line-up of musical artists and a variety of fun activities to mark this special occasion. Compañía Cervecera de Canarias, the owner of the Tropical brand, provided us with a stand, equipped with a fridge stocked with Tropical beers and a large monitor to showcase our technology.

While Technarte’s technological tool offers significant artistic potential, its applications in experiential marketing present a unique, disruptive approach to advertising, particularly in the area of below-the-line (BTL) marketing. BTL strategies focus on promoting products or services through unconventional media channels, targeting specific audiences.

Recognising the potential of the Tropical Fest as a platform, we reached out to Cervecera de Canarias to demonstrate the experiential marketing possibilities of our technology.

On Friday 14th June, the tool was tested for 6 hours with over 100 festival-goers participating in the experience. Attendees were given a unique, personalised experience, allowing them to discover how their brains responded to the taste of Tropical Sin Filtros.

Using a headband with EEG (Electroencephalogram) technology, participants’ brain impulses were recorded and altered in response to two key stimuli: the beer and an accompanying audio track. These brain signals were then translated into a visual artistic representation, revealing ‘what your brain experienced when tasting the new Tropical Sin Filtros’. The resulting image classified participants into different 'types of dogs', based on their brain activity. Each individual was also given a personalised, graphical representation of their brain’s response.

The storytelling presented to participants was as follows:

"We will fit you with a headband that measures your brain’s impulses, and you’ll wear a headset to isolate you from the noise. During the experience, you’ll listen to an audio guide leading you to the moment where you open your eyes and taste Tropical Sin Filtros. After the audio concludes, you’ll be able to see how your brain reacted to the taste of our beer. Relax and enjoy.”

The image shows the experience of one of the participants who tried the tool.

At the end of the experience, a hostess handed each participant a card with a QR code and an assigned number, asking how they found the experience and encouraging them to scan the QR to download and share their result.

By participating in a stand at the Tropical Fest, Technarte was able to test its technological tool in a live, real-world setting. This has allowed for improvements in the tool’s design and functionality, preparing it to be offered as an experiential marketing service for companies.

With the successful testing at the event, Technarte is now ready to incorporate this technological tool into its catalogue of services, under a new section dedicated to personalised digital art.