George Poonkhin Khut, Australia b. 1969 | Distillery: Waveforming (Portrait of Rob) 2012 | Still from video portraits of sitters interacting with heart rate controlled composition software for iPad | Photograph: Julia Pendrill Charles | Stylist: Troy Brennan | © Courtesy: The artist

” The Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art congratulates George Poonkhin Khut winner of the 2012 National New Media Art Award.

The selection committee members said that Khut’s winning entry Distillery: Waveforming 2012 poetically explored the interactions between the mind and body; art and science. By visually displaying the viewer’s heartbeat the work instantly responds to their changing reactions, creating a continuous biofeedback loop.

The work was originally developed as relaxation training system for managing the pain and anxiety experienced by children undergoing medical treatment. The judges commended Khut’s creative approach to experimental research and the great potential it showed for other applications.

George Poonkhin Khut’s Distillery: Waveforming was originally developed as a device to assist children who were in hospital to undergo medical treatments. Comprised of a clip-on heart monitor, iPad and a specially developed program, this work enables the sitter to see a visual interpretation of their beating heart. This kind of set-up provides what is known as biofeedback.

With concentration and practice, participants are able to control their body’s stress reactions, particularly the pace and depth of their breathing and frequency of their cardiac cycle. Khut’s work has the powerful capability to assist users to become more aware of their body, enhance relaxation, and build focus. In a medical context, the device can help increase an individual’s ability to control and distance their sense of pain and anxiety, particularly during painful rehabilitative and surgical procedures.

In a gallery context this work helps demonstrate the unique, even wondrous, connection between mind and body — reminding the audience of their own life force and the many layers of their being. ”

See the original article, George Poonkhin Khut on the QAG/GOMA site here.

If you liked this post, check out our collection of art gallery apps here.