MUSICAL NEUROFEEDBACK INTEGRATION FOR TIBETAN BUDDHIST MANDALA EXHIBIT AT METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Interactive Media Arts Low Res ‘23 alum and Collaborative Arts Instructor Jason Snell partnered with The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Education Department to create an immersive experience in Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet. Using Enophones EEG headphones, Snell has transformed students' brainwaves into soundscapes, sonifying the activity in their minds.
The exhibit features over 100 objects, including paintings and ritual items from the 12th to 15th centuries, centered around the concept of mandalas as diagrams of the universe. Snell’s project enhances the experience by converting brainwave data into audio that mirrors the contemplative nature of these artworks.
Snell scanned mandalas, including Portrait of a Kadam Master with Buddhas and His Lineage (c. 1180–1220), using a web-based Image-to-Audio Spectrogram Player to generate rhythmic soundscapes from pixel data. The VOSIS iOS app also transformed mandala images into layered, meditative tones. These unique soundscapes responded to students' brain states, merging neuroscience with ancient Himalayan art.
