P006 →Woodbox/2019
Woodbox
mix media
30’’ x 60’’x 58’’
For my friends and all those with mental illness whose voices have been erased.
In Asian families, mental issues are not taken seriously. You're likely to hear from Asian parents, "You're not depressed. You're just too lazy. "In this situation, bipolar disorder is even less known. Few people in China had heard of this disorder when I was only doing this work. The disease was also often confused with depression. An incorrect diagnosis can lead to a patient's condition becoming more severe. And studies have shown that the heart rate variability of patients with bipolar disorder is different from that of depressed patients. This subtle difference can help doctors differentiate the condition and provide the proper treatment.
I made a woodbox tape of bipolar disorder patients' heart rate graphs by filtering and processing the data. The paper tape is placed in the installation. The paper tape drives the installation and strikes the tuning fork. Tuning forks are often used in music therapy to treat illnesses. In this process, the patient's ECG guides the device. Eventually, the sound of the patient's heartbeat is transmitted through the tuning fork. The work uses the patient's heart to heal and, in another way, to communicate their voice to the public.