I pulsate therefore I am / Spanda ergo sum

I pulsate therefore I am / Spanda Ergo Sum is a two-channel moving-image installation, accompanied by a binaural sound composition, conductive sculptures, electronics, a bespoke acoustic floor, and inflatable cushion pods through which the soundscape is transmitted into the audience’s bodies.

The work reinterprets René Descartes’ brain in a box theory of self - ‘cogito ergo sum’ (‘I think therefore I am’) - into the experience of self as part of a vast field of vibration: ‘I pulsate, therefore I am. In the Śaiva Yoga Tantric tradition of India, spanda is a principle of pulsation—the creative throb of the cosmos. It follows the logic of a waveform, through the interplay of emergence and manifestation, with submergence and the unmanifest. This oceanic rhythm shapes the choreographic dynamics of the moving image work and the circuitry of the installation.

I pulsate therefore I am / Spanda Ergo Sum is a sensorial and meditative space in which to contemplate the oscillations of life and death, inviting the audience to imagine existence beyond human life. The imagery captures the nonhuman occupants and entities of derelict and abandoned spaces, completely devoid of human presence, yet alive with imperceptible movements and vibrations. The juxtaposition of these environments across the two screens and the choreographic pace of images and cinematography intensifies the rhythmic charge of a world pulsing with latent activity. The soundscape weaves together ghostly voices sourced from recordings of the materials and places depicted in the imagery as a spectral polyphony, whichis then layered with the live sounds of latent electrical currents within the installation space, amplified through copper antenna, resistors and electronic sensors. Together, these elements create an immersive experience, where sound and image amplifies the subtle energies surrounding us to that we can sense their presence and power.

Please send an email for video link

Installation: BuOY Art Space, Tokyo

I pulsate therefore I am / Spanda ergo sum was installed in a derelict bath house in the basement of BUoY Art Space, Tokyo for Wireless Festival (2023). The sonic components transduced the spectral energy moving as invisible latent electrical activity. At times, the volume and lights became uncontrollable, suddenly falling silent or erupting into unexpected frenetic vocalizations. This live soundscape was played alongside the binaural sounds of the moving image piece, which was also the highlight of the exhibition.

Installation Design