The Little Joys in Life
Our inspiration comes from a scene in the French movie If you haven't already, you really need to watch Amélie about the little joys of life. Thus, hard beans, with their sensual textural qualities, are central in our design. The Erotic Beans experience is an example of how technology can be sensual without being intrusive. The focus is on the texture and aesthetics of materials and the pleasure of interaction.
The performance took place in Paris Saclay University and consisted of a ritual that was performed for every participant. The performer, the guardian of the installation, is the rite initiator. The installation was located in a small candle-lit room.
When agreeing to take part in the performance, participants signed a handwritten contract agreeing to be blindfolded and recorded, and not reveal any details about the installation to other participants during the rest of the exhibition. This last detail was essential in creating suspense and curiosity around the installation.
The movement of the participant's hand through the beans triggers different The sounds were excerpts of intimate scenes from pop culture (Brokeback Mountain, Nymphomaniac). We also used breathing and heartbeat sounds. What the participant hears becomes a shared secret of the audience who has experienced the performance, but also an individual one. When the participant feels that she or he wants to stop, the performer releases them, by taking away the headphones and unfolding the scarf.
Hardware Hacking
To create the interactive experience, we used an Arduino One microprocessor and six piezoelectric transducers to monitor the movements. Piezoelectric sensors can detect vibrations caused by the moving of the beans. In total we used 6 sensors and a combination of 16 different sounds. By increasing the intensity of movement, participants could discover new sounds.
