NEU-theatre:
Theatre and Performance Through the Prism of Neuroscience
Initiated by the Art & Science Institute and the Higher School of Lighting Design at ITMO University in collaboration with media artist Yuri Didevich, the project offered viewers a unique opportunity to witness the invisible. Utilizing neuro-computer interfaces that captured brain electrical activity, NEU-theatre created a new space for artistic expression. Dancers from STAGE DANCE FILM THEATRE — Marina Orel, Anna Kochemasova, and Margarita Ugolnikova — acted as conduits of emotions, conveyed to the audience through rhythm, music, and visualization.
Yuri Didevich, the media artist and project creator, drew inspiration from Dick Swaab's idea that "our brain is who we are." The project highlighted the internal, invisible components of performers' emotional states, making the audience involuntary witnesses to the creation of a unique performance. Interactive light and visual content reflected dancers' emotional responses to external stimuli of light and sound.
NEU-theatre explored critical questions relevant to contemporary society, such as the boundaries of reality and the possibilities of defining them. The project's scientific consultant, Alexander Vyalyamyae from School of Digital Technologies at Tallinn University, supported the interdisciplinary approach that united neuroscience, computer science, and art.
The project not only demonstrated the potential of new technologies in art but also raised ethical and philosophical questions related to the advancement of neuroscience. As noted by Wolf Singer, a professor of neurophysiology, "neuroscience needs the humanities," and collaboration between these fields could lead to a new understanding of phenomena such as empathy, jealousy, and altruism.
Yuri Didevich's project once again sought to push the boundaries of art by employing cutting-edge technologies and an interdisciplinary approach, creating a new space for interaction between the artist and the audience.
