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Acupuncture needle in Gene's hand connected to the sensor circuitry.


Meridian system in the body.

Sonic Qi reveals the invisible flow of energy within the body known as Qi (chi). Using accupuncture needles and customized circuitry, changes in energy flow are detected and converted to data. In this performance, the realtime data is analyzed for changes in energy from four distinct meridians of the body. When changes are detected, distint pre-recorded samples/sounds are triggered and heard during the one hour performance. A basic visual display shows the data as it is captured and analyzed.

Special thanks to Acupuncturist Tony Kwan and family.
Kwan Acupuncture
6857 East Thomas Rd, Scottsdale
480.994.9758

Science and Technology:
Sonic Qi, is the keystone that bridges the gap between art, science, and the ancient medical art of acupuncture. Unequipped with the tools today, ancient practitioners of acupuncture precisely understood the power to transform health by affecting changes in the energy flow of the body. Today, using new methods of data acquisition, visualization, and sonification, we can creatively surround our senses with an expanded experience of this phenomenon.


Acupuncture needle.

Sensor system custom developed for the performance.

Historical Background:
Sonic Qi, is the keystone that bridges the gap between art, science, and the ancient medical art of acupuncture. Unequipped with the tools today, ancient practitioners of acupuncture precisely understood the power to transform health by affecting changes in the energy flow of the body. In the 1940’s Dr. Reinholt Voll, conducted studies where he made profound discoveries in the scientifically detected energy flow of the body. In "JIN-MAI" SYSTEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WESTERN MEDICINE”, Dr. Nicolaev wrote, “In the West, it was a German, Dr. R.Voll, who was the first to systematically record the electrical energy of the human body. Volt used an electrical probe to measure electrical resistance at points all over the body. He discovered that there were numerous locations which gave unusual reading, that is, which had lower electrical resistance, and that the distribution of these points delineated several fixed routes. At the same time as Voll was carrying out his research, a Japanese doctor named Nakatani was using an electrical device to test patients. Nakatani also discovered numerous points of low electrical resistance which he connected into pathways. The electrical pathways these two men discovered are in almost complete accord with the meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Moreover, the points of low electrical resistance exactly correspond to the acupuncture points of Traditional Medicine.” Today, using new methods of data acquisition, visualization, and sonification, we can creatively surround our senses with an expandedexperience of this phenomenon.

Special thanks to the Lisa Sette Gallery:
Contact Lisa Sette Gallery at...
4142 N Marshall Way
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480 · 990 · 7342
sette@lisasettegallery.com