Memory Machines

2007

kinetic sculpture 48” x 60” x 30”, installation dimensions variable

kinetic sculpture: table, Post-it notes, stainless steel rod, wood gears, rubber belts, motor, hardware; installation: approximately 4,000 Post-it notes, stainless steel wire, foam core ceiling panels, birdcages, aluminum cage stands, speakers, surround sound system, 300 feet of speaker wire

My thoughts and memories were recorded on Post-it notes for a year and a half. These notes were then stuck together and hung from the ceiling like a migrating flock of birds. The flock soared high above 3 birdcages that represented the areas of the brain (fore, mid and hindbrain). Each birdcage contained a speaker, out of which my voice could be heard reading information contained in the notes overhead. The up-and-down movement of each bird in the kinetic sculpture correlated to the altitude and velocity of one of the brain’s 5 different brain waves (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma).