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Brain Art

Brain-Computer Interfaces for Artistic Expression

Editors:

  • The first book that surveys how brain activity can be monitored and manipulated for artistic purposes, with contributions by interactive media artists, brain-computer interface researchers, and neuroscientists
  • Demonstrates examples from art and science that relate brain activity to the creative processes of making and experiencing art: music, movies, dance, painting, interactive and performance art
  • Reviews exhaustively the work of pioneering artists and their techniques whilst discussing the developments and technological and scientific advances that led to present-day ways of making brain art
  • Includes studies on brain art and virtual reality, brain art and therapy, experiencing architecture, and the role of hackathons where art and science students can become familiar with the technology used

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
  2. History, State of the Art, and Developments of Brain Art

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 31-31
    2. More Than One—Artistic Explorations with Multi-agent BCIs

      • David Rosenboom, Tim Mullen
      Pages 117-143
  3. Exploring Our ‘Self’ with Brain Art

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 159-159
    2. Using Synchrony-Based Neurofeedback in Search of Human Connectedness

      • Suzanne Dikker, Sean Montgomery, Suzan Tunca
      Pages 161-206
    3. EEG KISS: Shared Multi-modal, Multi Brain Computer Interface Experience, in Public Space

      • Karen Lancel, Hermen Maat, Frances Brazier
      Pages 207-228
  4. Your Brain on Art: Perceiving, Understanding, and Creating

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 263-263
    2. Understanding Perceptual Experience of Art Using Mobile Brain/Body Imaging

      • Zakaria Djebbara, Lars Brorson Fich, Klaus Gramann
      Pages 265-282
    3. Your Brain on Art: A New Paradigm to Study Artistic Creativity Based on the ‘Exquisite Corpse’ Using Mobile Brain-Body Imaging

      • Jesus G. Cruz-Garza, Girija Chatufale, Dario Robleto, Jose L. Contreras-Vidal
      Pages 283-308
    4. Self-conscience/Physical Memory: An Immersive, Kinetic Art Installation Driven by Real-Time and Archival EEG Signals

      • Eric Todd, Jesus G. Cruz-Garza, Austin Moreau, James Templeton, Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal
      Pages 309-323
  5. Using Brain Art in Therapy

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 325-325
    2. Advancing the Rehabilitative and Therapeutic Potential of BCI and Noninvasive Sensing Systems

      • Stephanie M. Scott, Chris Raftery, Charles Anderson
      Pages 327-354
    3. BCI-Based Expressive Arts: Moving Toward Mind-Body Alignment

      • Rainbow Tin Hung Ho, Sunee H. Markosov, Nathan Sanders, Chang S. Nam
      Pages 355-373
  6. Brain Art: Control, Tools, Technology, and Hacking

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 375-375
    2. Brain-Controlled Cinema

      • Richard Ramchurn, Sarah Martindale, Max L. Wilson, Steve Benford, Alan Chamberlain
      Pages 377-408

About this book

This is the first book on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that aims to explain how these BCI interfaces can be used for artistic goals. Devices that measure changes in brain activity in various regions of our brain are available and they make it possible to investigate how brain activity is related to experiencing and creating art. Brain activity can also be monitored in order to find out about the affective state of a performer or bystander and use this knowledge to create or adapt an interactive multi-sensorial (audio, visual, tactile) piece of art. Making use of the measured affective state is just one of the possible ways to use BCI for artistic expression.

We can also stimulate brain activity. It can be evoked externally by exposing our brain to external events, whether they are visual, auditory, or tactile. Knowing about the stimuli and the effect on the brain makes it possible to translate such external stimuli to decisions and commands that help to design, implement, or adapt an artistic performance, or interactive installation. Stimulating brain activity can also be done internally. Brain activity can be voluntarily manipulated and changes can be translated into computer commands to realize an artistic vision.

The chapters in this book have been written by researchers in human-computer interaction, brain-computer interaction, neuroscience, psychology and social sciences, often in cooperation with artists using BCI in their work. It is the perfect book for those seeking to learn about brain-computer interfaces used for artistic applications.


Reviews

“For the first time, readers can learn about the enormous scope of BCI experimentation in art and art-related projects, dating back many decades, all in one volume. Importantly, this book is not only for people with an interest in the arts, but is also of high importance to the wider BCI scientific and engineering community.” (Doron Friedman, Brain Computer Interfaces, April 24, 2020)

“It provides a comprehensive picture of aesthetic concerns and technological advances that have shaped interaction with brain-computer interfaces (BCI). The edited volume also includes thorough documentation of recent artworks, experiments, and therapies based on neurofeedback. It can constitute an essential resource for historians and media theorists examining the development of this genre. … Nijholt’s book aptly extends the scope of aesthetic expression beyond the realm of fine art and music.” (Cristina Albu, Leonardo, October, 2019)


Editors and Affiliations

  • Human Media Interaction, Faculty of EEMCS, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Anton Nijholt

About the editor

Anton Nijholt studied mathematics and computer science at the Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands and received a Ph.D. degree in theoretical computer science from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1980. He is a Professor of Computer Science in the Human Media Interaction group, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. He held positions at various universities in and outside The Netherlands. 

His main research interests are entertainment computing, multimodal interaction, affective computing, and brain–computer interfacing. He has hundreds of scientific publications, including (edited) books on the history of computing, language processing, and brain–computer interfacing. Recently he edited the books: “Playful User Interfaces”, “More Playful User Interfaces”, “Entertaining the Whole World”, and “Playable Cities”, all with Springer. He has been a guest-editor for Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces, International Journal ofArts and Technology, Entertainment Computing, International Journal of Creative Interfaces and Computer Graphics (IJCICG) and the Brain-Computer Interfaces journal. Together with Chang S. Nam and Fabien Lotte he was editor of the “Brain–Computer Interfaces Handbook: Technological and Theoretical Advances” (Taylor & Francis, 2018). 

Professor Nijholt is also Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Human-Media Interaction and (associate) editor of several other journals. He has also served as Program Chair and General Chair for the main international conferences on affective computing, multimodal interaction, virtual agents, and entertainment computing.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access