The Eternal Debate of the Unconscious Mind, 2016
Glass, Metal Frame, Lighting, Fixtures, Sound System
The Eternal Debate of the Unconscious Mind was made for Enchanted Parks event, at Saltwell Park, Gateshead 2016. The project consisted of 4 – 5 mould blown glass hearts. Each red heart had lighting projected to upon in to illuminate the glass in a synced beat of a heartbeat. The hearts, flickering on and off with a heartbeat that slows, picks up and slows again continuously, would be physically and visually perceived by passersby. This quickening and slowdown of the heart is to represent both suspense, fear as well as the idea of “falling in love” – thus representative of how misunderstood heartbeats can be. As no other illumination besides dim guide lights would be provided, it would influence the viewers, feeling their own heartbeat reflect or be confused with the increasing one.
The theme to this event was an appreciation for Shakespeare’s plays and themes of love, and thus the idea was to create a hyper-realistic portrayal of this “love” we’re so obsessed with – a simple organ. Yet it metaphorically dictates our emotions and remains one of the most prominent symbolism around the world. This simple piece let viewers hyper-fixate on their own heartbeats for the short walk between other installations.
