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Research and Process documentation | The installation | Outcome and findings of the experience.
‘Sleep through Wake’ is an art installation which metaphorically describes human brain activity during sleep.
While asleep, our sleep cycle includes four stages each of which are characterized by slightly different brain activities based on how aware and awake our body is. The cycle includes stages one to four which are called the NREM (Non Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and fifth stage called REM (Rapid Eye Movement).
Stage 1 includes 4-5% of sleep time and is characterized by light sleep, slowing of muscle activity and occasional muscle twitching. The brain activity slows down.
Stage 2 includes 45-55% of sleep cycle characterized by slowing of breathing and heart rate and decrease in body temperature. The brain activity is slower than stage 1.
Stage 3 includes 4-6% of sleep cycle and this is when deep sleep begins. The brain begins to generate slow delta waves.
Stage 4 includes 12-15% of the sleep cycle characterized by very deep sleep, rhythmic breathing, limited muscle activity and brain generating more delta waves.
Stage 5 is the REM stage which includes 20-25% of the sleep cycle characterized by rapid eye movement, brainwaves speed up and dreaming occurs. Muscles relax and heart rate increases. Breathing is rapid and shallow.
These various stages have been simulated using the medium of ferrofluid and electromagnets.
It is a time based installation which progresses through the entire sleep cycle through a total of 6 hours.
The electromagnets turn on and off based on the stage of the sleep cycle and hence reflect different movements in the ferrofluid representing each of the stages of the sleep cycle.
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