rota by Carsten Nicolai :: July 3 - September 26, 2009 :: Ernst Schering Foundation, Unter den Linden 32-34, 10117 Berlin.

rota, which sees itself as an experiment, deals with the effects of the so-called neurofeedback on human perception. Taking his cues from the dreamachines or mind machines — developed by Brion Gysin since the 1950s in the context of the Beatnik movement to alter the viewers’ state of consciousness through the emission of alpha waves — Carsten Nicolai presents a test set-up, where visitors can experience for themselves how the brain responds to different visual (and acoustic) phenomena.

rota is a cylinder approximately 260 cm high and 170 cm in diameter, that rotates around its own axis and whose surface is perforated with a specially designed pattern. As cold light radiates from inside the cylinder, a stroboscopic effect is produced through the body’s rotation. Depending on the rotation speed, there are different frequencies of pulsating light, which can also be transformed into acoustic information. According to scientific research, these impulses can directly affect the brain waves of the visitors and thus cause a neuronal feedback, which can produce different mental states – such as trance, hypnosis or meditation.