Structures of Emotion - An online demonstration of an emotion recognition process

Abstract

Structures of Emotion is an art performance that aims to examine the way humans and machines read and interpret emotional expressions. The work realises the difficulty of translating 'feelings' into words. We analyse the proprioceptive and cognitive complexity of emotion recognition, comparing human vs. computer vision’s biases while perceiving another person. Through this relationship emotions are reduced to a sensory input given by the subject's facial expressions. The relationship is mediated by a digital screen, which obstructs other biometric inputs that would otherwise be delivered in person. This ocularcentric, remote mode of communication has become a primary channel for social interactions.