Title	BRAIN TRIP: A VOYAGE INTO SURREALISM VIA YOUR BRAIN WAVES
Brand	CENTRAAL MUSEUM UTRECHT
Product/Service	THE INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION BRAIN TRIP: ON A VOYAGE INTO SURREALISM VIA YOUR BR
Category	A01. Innovation
Entrant Company	RHINOFLY Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS
Advertising Agency	RHINOFLY Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS

Name	Company	Position
Bonny Van Sighem	Centraal Museum Utrecht	Internet/New Media Manager
Bas Gezelle	Rhinofly	Creative Strategist
Hugo Van De Hoef	Rhinofly	Art Director
Johan Haneveld	Rhinofly	Creative Developer
Gerben Van Heijningen	Rhinofly	Interactive Producer
Roland Lamers	Rhinofly	Interaction Designer
Khalid El Khaouni	Rhinofly	Creative
Nicky Correljé	Rhinofly	Creative
Bertram Vlaanderen	Rhinofly	Creative Developer
Nienke Van Heusden	Rhinofly	Client Service Director
Femke Flageolet	Studioff	Sounddesigner

The Brief

The Centraal Museum likes to give an extra experience to the exhibition Surreal Worlds: in addition to visiting the exhibition you can really experience surrealism yourself. The interactive installation Brain Trip enables the visitor to really experience surrealism in an innovative way via his brain waves. Surrealists found that reality is not an objective, rational fact; it is all about how one experiences it. The use of the brain reader technology in Brain Trip is therefor the conceptual translation of the fact that surrealism is inextricably linked to the subconscious. We picked the Neurosky brain reader that uses EEG as technology. This is a brain scan that measures electric activity in your brain. With de Neurosky developer program we developed an application that measures whether you are focused or relaxed and when you blink your eyes. These three stadia of the brain will be used as tools in the expedition into the surreal world. The Brain Trip application and installation is public relaesed on the 14th of february in the Central Museum in Utrecht (Netherlands) as part of an exhibition. After the exhibtion in juni the installation will travel around other museums or conferences.

Brain Trip enriches the experience of the exhibition Surreal Worlds. Because surrealism is inextricably linked to the subconscious, in this way we let the visitor truly experience surrealism. Brain Trip is specifically created for the visitors of the exhibition Surreal Worlds but can be used for other museums or conferences. Reading out brain activity used to be reserved for medical experts. With the growing of new technology the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) has become accessible. The brain is now the next step in interactivity. Because no conventions are available to give feedback to brain activity, we introduced this to the user by UX and storytelling. By giving visual feedback on focus and relax times during exercises, we introduced the iconography we use in the installation. This way, users got to know this new way of interacting and they could submerge in the experience. Brain Trip measures brain waves and sends the data to an application via Bluetooth. This way, we can determine the state of mind via a algorithm, which is used in the exploratory journey. The Brain Trip starts in reality; everything is still easy to comprehend. Shortly after, the surreal world shows itself. If this is too much to handle, the user can get closer tot reality and go back in time by focusing. At a certain moment, there is no way back. The brain is exhausted and the only thing the user can do is surrender to the surreal world. In line with the iconography, we create a unique visual travel report that shows how the cerebral hemispheres experienced this journey. All data is analysed and shows which part of the journey the user was focused or relaxed. This souvenir is projected at the exit of the installation and can be shared on social media.

Brain Trip was on exhibition from February 15th until June 9th, 2014 at the Surreal Worlds exhibition at the Centraal Museum Utrecht. During this period 2731 visitors visited Brain Trip. Their journey lasted 8:39 minutes. And with an average of more than five visitors an hour, this means that 71% of the time that the museum was open, someone was on a Brain Trip. No other painting has ever been able to match up to this percentage. Of all visitors, the brain was relaxed for 34% and focused for 66% of the time. Museums want visitors to do more than only look at art; they want them to have an experience that will last. They want the visitor to be part of the underlying meaning of the exhibited art. Brain Trip is an perfect example of an innovative way of public participation. An experimental technology to involve visitors in the visual arts which broadens and enriches the exhibition.