Paused Pulse
Pulse is a body installation reflecting on the human condition. The blood-like fluid running through the pipes serves as a powerful reminder of the violence and suffering that humans inflict upon each other, while the machine itself represents the cold, mechanical nature of modern society.
The use of blood-like liquid in the installation may also be seen as a reference to the body and bodily fluids, and the ways in which our physical selves are often ignored or oppressed by society. As the sensor detects the pulse, the machine creates a visceral experience, pumping and spurting blood through pipes circling around the human body onto a blank canvas, forcing the viewers to confront the bodily realities that are often hidden from view.
Overflow Blood Machine (1970) Rebecca Horn
Overflow Blood Machine evokes feelings of excess and overflow as if the body's energy is bursting out of the confines of the machine. The installation is also intended to be somewhat unsettling, as the combination of scientific apparatus and organic fluid creates a sense of ambiguity and discomfort.
Overall, the "Overflow Blood Machine" is a provocative and thought-provoking work that challenges our perceptions of the human body and our relationship to technology. By simulating the circulatory system in such a visceral and visceral way, Horn invites us to consider the ways in which we are connected to and dependent upon our own bodies, and the ways in which technology can both enhance and disrupt that connection.
Indestructible (2013) Robyn in collaboration with body architect Lucy Mcrae
Screenshots from Indestructible music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueI8HU1cmNE
In the video, McRae uses silicon pipes to create dynamic textiles that wrap around Robyn's body and create a range of different shapes and textures. The use of silicon pipes in the music video was a way for McRae to explore the boundaries between the body and technology, and to create a visually striking representation of the song's themes of resilience and strength. The dynamic textiles created with the pipes serve as a metaphor for the body's ability to adapt and transform in response to challenges, just as the pipes can be molded and reshaped into different forms.
We first tried to figure out how the water pump works and found that it is actually exactly the same as an air pump (or even a motor). After a lot of small mistakes (Be sure to pay attention to diode polarity when connecting in the future!🥲), we successfully connected the basic circuit that can pump water.
//Basic code to let the motor pump water
int motorPump = 9;
void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(motorPump, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(motorPump,HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(motorPump, LOW);
delay(1000);
}