Language, despite being a pre-existing collective understanding, resonates uniquely within each individual. “Parole Sentimental” is a device I designed to measure the intensity of human emotion influenced by literature. This interactive installation activates upon audience engagement. Participants are equipped with sensors that detect their emotional responses by measuring the electrical conductance of the skin, as they interact with the poem “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg displayed on LCD screens. The speed of the text animation correlates with the emotional intensity detected by the device, providing a visual representation of their feelings.
The term “parole” refers to the linguistic theory by Ferdinand de Saussure, which denotes the specific use of language in concrete acts by individuals. This project explores the comprehension of literature and the subjective experience of language through an experimental setup. Intense emotion stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in more sweat being secreted; a GSR sensor spots strong emotion by attaching two electrodes to two fingers on one hand.
The installation mainly consists of 16 LCD screens, 2 microcontrollers, a GSR sensor and copper wire. Using the I2C protocol I connected 8 screens to each Arduino, and established serial communication between the two boards. The main board is connected to the GSR sensor and calculates parameters such as the animation speed.
Inspired by the first polygraph machine in the world, Parole Sentimental adopts the aesthetic of the early steam age, featuring an exposed mechanical structure within a transparent frame. This design allows the audience to observe the machine’s fragile, complex network. Just like the audience being exposed emotionally, the machine is just as vulnerable in front of them.
