Most of the time, we think of our heart in terms of its medical function. But the heart also lives a second life in linguistic context as a metaphor: the cold heart, the heart of stone, being warm-hearted or having a heart of gold. We experience heartache,
sometimes even a broken heart and a heart full of love.

It is much more than an organ: It is a symbol.

An interactive installation brings these symbols to life and makes them tangible.

The installation consists of 16 hearts portrayed by two projectors. Every heart can store the measured heartbeat by the person that interacted with it.

The hearts can be brought to life via a sensor that detects the user’s own pulse. Animation (latin for “bestowing of life”) is used here in the literal sense.

The project was implemented using Arduinos and Unreal Engine 5. With the help of an interface, the exported program can receive and process data via USB.

During the measurement, an LED ring provides feedback on the progress.

Animation is a multifaceted medium. Different techniques meet different styles and shaders. Each possibly offering different effects on the audience. This work explores this question to a certain extent. Because the hearts are created using different techniques, they each bring their own base for interpretation. The claymation heart for example, has a completely different feel than the organic-looking one. But how each one is interpreted is also depending on personal experiences and expectations.

The project is based on an animated film from the first semester. It deals with personal experiences and uses the heart as a symbol for stress.

META short film