Time-Link Present

Time-Link Present was created in response to the growing interest in the mindfulness practice. The title Time-Link Present is a reference to the facets of crystals named by the direction of the slant of their facet, either “time-link past” or “time-link future.” This project asks the viewer to be dramatically “in the present.”

The crystalline structures that spanned the long interior space of this installation were constructed of hundreds of hand-grown crystals. Each crystal outline shape was hand formed into a variety of shapes creating a kind of “vernacular,” or shape language, that was showcased like an evolving alphabet in shadow form along the main wall of the gallery. 

Through projection mapping and sensor technology, provided by Sweetzpot in Norway, these crystalline formations are brought to life as the viewer is encouraged to sit and put on a sensor belt for a unique experience activated by their breathing.

When visitors entered the space, they were invited to take a seat in the center of the space where an arc of crystals cascades down to the ground. Each visitor would then put on a belt and watch the white crystals fill with dazzling color each time they would inhale, and return to pure white with every exhale. 

The belts worn by each visitor have the capacity to turn the expansion and contraction of each breath into a data stream. Our creative technologist, Pamela Hersch, designed a system by which to translate this data into an interactive visual experience. This data stream was translated, using Max, into OSC messages that can be read by the computer. Then, using Resolume, we were able to take in those messages and create a visual output that changed from white to color, changing with the data stream. Pamela then mapped each section of the crystal arc with a different color of projected light so that each color corresponded to a single data stream. That data was visualized by these changing colors in the specific area directly in front of the participating viewer.

Visitors were invited to use the space as a meditative, contemplative environment. This immersive installation presented an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to engage with their individual breathing practice in an entirely new way, allowing them to not only sense their breath internally but also to see it externally, aiding some in their ability to maintain focus for a longer duration.