Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze

Abramoviç often repeats her longstanding desires to use telepathy instead of telecommunication and to work with scientists to develop time travel and teleportation. She strongly evokes the extro-scientific that is not quite science fiction yet also definitely not yet recognized by science. Abramovic desires a redistribution of the sensible that rejects the supremacy of technology and stretches scientific comprehension. Although science cannot explain telepathy, it comes close sometimes; in fact science in the hands of military, university and corporate capitalism can generate technological innovation, which in turn is constantly inventing new telepathies. When the word telepathy was invented in 1882, it was accompanying the invention of the telephone. Now telepathy accompanies inventions in Brain Computer Interface and social media with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stating that the future of Facebook is increasingly telepathic. In this work Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze, 2013, Abramovic collaborates with neuroscientist Suzanne Dikker via an Emotiv EEG bioneuroheadset and animated display showing events of brain synchronization, as part of Marina Abramovic Institute Science Chamber. Although engaging with new media art and science collaborations, Abramovic is more at home in demonstrating telepathy through interface with the most luddite shaman’s objects, new age semi-precious stones, minerals, metals and yogic exercises.