Tender Rhythms 2.0 is an elaboration on Tender Rhythms 1.0 and a collaboration between Stephanie, and Bavo De Kuysscher & Gust Denteneer from Nerdlab. Made possible through an artist residency at Fax.Lab in Hasselt and Stephanie’s Post Doctoral Mandate from KULeuven Internal Funds.

The BCI-installation Tender Rhythms 2.0  starts from recent neuroscientific research which shows how deep connections between people results in alpha-brainwave synchronicity. Through EEG-headbands, Tender Rhythms 2.0 measures this synchronicity and start to make music as connections occur, while visuals change. By projecting the visuals on the screens around the participants, Tender Rhythms 2.0 wants to bring attention to the importance of the context in which connections take place. Some contexts seem more favorable than others. A Tender Context is required in which both participants feel safe enough to open up and connect with one another. Think of pillow talk moments, where secrets, dreams, traumas and other sincere emotions and affects can be shared — sometimes for the very first time. Without such a context – co-created by the two participants and the space surrounding them – such porous connections feel dangerous, in a world where autonomy and self-sufficiency seem to reign. Throughout the day, Tender Rhythms 2.0  invited passerby’s to engage with the installation. In the evening, we invited artists across different disciplines to engage with the BCI-installation.