For this first episode of "An_archive of dreams" we will focus on the way art can influence dreams starting from a question: can specially designed sounds, that are created to be enjoyed while we are asleep, influence our sleep patterns and our dreams?
My guest for this episode is Swedish artist Per Huttner, who is engaged in a practice of measuring the brain activity of sleepers which he uses to shape special soundscapes.
In our collaboration, we have been developing a number of performances for sleeping/dreaming audiences. These are not only performances for dreaming people but the idea is that dreamers themselves influence the actual performance. This happens through the measurement of their brain activity (EEG – electroencephalogram) throughout a whole night. The measurement of the brain is connected to sound generating, smell emitting and light producing devices. The recorded sounds (as you will hear in this episode), as well as the smells and lights, affect the sleeper. Meanwhile, the sleepers influence the artistic output creating infinite feedback loops. This research gathers together technology and consciousness, science and art, dreamers and their communities, the singular and the collective.
(Emilio Fantin)