Intersecting Minds

State of Being

by Yeewon Chong

The artist performing State of Being wearing a brainwave headset plays a digital keyboard against a starry black backdrop. To her right, a large, glowing, translucent brain form floats in space, pulsing with vivid colors—turquoise, gold, and magenta—with neural-like structures branching at its core. The setup includes electronic music equipment and monitors.

⚠️Trigger Warning: Photosensitivity & Seizure Risk

Video: Audiovisual Performance of “State of Being” by Yeewon Chong

🏅WINNER: BEST INTERDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION

State of Being, an audiovisual performance, takes us directly into artist and functional neurologist Dr. Yeewon Chong’s brainwave activity. In this fusion of neuroscience and artistic expression, invisible, fleeting pulses of perception appear before our eyes, shifting into light, sound, and pattern.

Behind the Scenes of “State of Being”

Behind the Scenes

Still frame from the audiovisual performance of State of Ebing. Abstract visualization of neural activity: glowing orange nodes resembling neurons radiate spindly black tendrils against a dark reddish-brown background. Small golden pulses travel along the strands, evoking synaptic signals in motion.

Artist Statement

State of Being is an immersive audiovisual performance that explores the delicate interplay between the unseen subconscious and the visible conscious mind (thoughts). It is both a celebration of the mind’s complexity and a powerful reminder that we are more than what we can perceive.

Through this work, the artist seeks to unveil and amplify the subconscious—giving it form, voice, and presence. A defining element of the performance is the real-time translation of brainwave activity into the dynamic of sound and visuals, offering an organic expression of the mind’s inner workings, both the conscious and the subconscious. The interplay between the artist’s subconscious and conscious is highlighted by the amalgamation of the piano solo and the background arp sound, further reflecting the mechanics of the human mind.

Different brainwave frequencies shape different experiences—slower waves manifest as slower tones and dimmer hues, while faster waves, such as beta and gamma, generate bright, pulsating colours and intricate rhythmic patterns. This continuous transformation is further echoed in the pulsation of brain imaging throughout the piece.

More than a performance, State of Being is an intimate dialogue between the artist and her inner world—a space where thought and emotion become tangible, where consciousness is not only seen and heard but deeply felt.

Here is a very short behind-the-scenes video that explains the breakdown of State of Being to help understand the different layers of complexity in my piece. Please find below youtube link to the short video. https://youtu.be/NsHdXVqqYPQ?si=cIbZ6fj7P6UdFvhY

Notes: 

1) I’m the original composer of the entire music

2) the narrator is an AI generated voice from 

https://www.fineshare.com/ai-voice-generator/david-attenborough.html but the text source and script is written by me. 3) Apart from the original brain image of mine used in the submission, the remaining graphics are either sourced from stock videos from pixabay.com or originally generated graphics from a software called videosync2.

The artist engaged in her audiovisual performance of State of Being. A still frame of the artist in a sleeveless maroon top standing at a music controller and keyboard, wearing a brainwave headset. To her right, a translucent green 3D brain model floats in a black void, with bright, branching neural activity animated at its center.

The Artist

My name is Dr. Yeewon Chong. I am a functional neurologist, chiropractor, multi-instrumentalist, and audiovisual artist dedicated to merging neuroscience and music into transformative artistic experiences. My work explores the intricate relationship between brainwaves, consciousness, and human sensory perception, incorporating cutting-edge brain technology, QEEG, to create immersive, real-time audiovisual performances. Through my art, I seek to reveal the unseen depths of the mind, turning neural activity into the movement of sound and color—blurring the boundaries between science, perception, and creative expression.

ALT-text Description

The audiovisual performance “State of Being” is a generative video performance translating brainwave data into layered audiovisual elements. Visuals shift between pulsating neural imaging, color gradients, and abstract light forms. The soundtrack blends a solo piano composition with synthesized arpeggios. Brainwaves control the tempo, color, and intensity, creating a sensory portrait of subconscious and conscious states. Narration—voiced by an AI David Attenborough—guides the viewer through the conceptual framework.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Photosensitivity & Seizure Risk

This work contains flashing lights, rapid visual transitions, or high-contrast patterns that may trigger seizures or discomfort for viewers with photosensitive epilepsy or light sensitivity conditions.Viewer Discretion Advised. If you are sensitive to flashing visuals, please proceed with caution.

Artist Social Media Links:

Instagram

Instagram 2 (NeuroActiveHub)

YouTube