Mind Melodies | Video tour

Music is a fundamental semiotic system in everyday life. Whether in group or individual situations, the melodies that surround us influence our mental and affective states. This impact is largely driven by the modes of each piece of music (i.e., the particular scales used in the composition). To evoke particular internal states, various contemporary genres make strategic use of seven modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and (to a lesser extent) Locrian. Yet, what are the predominant concepts, emotions, and images that trigger these modes in each individual? And which of these experiences are most common among multiple people? In other words, how can we reveal the individual and collective experiences triggered by each mode, measure them, and communicate them to shed light on our inner aesthetic universes?

Mind Melodies: A Journey into Your Musical Universe is a cultural installation that combines art, language science and artificial intelligence to answer these questions. The proposal premiered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 2024.

Idea: Adolfo M. García and Bruno Mesz
Direction: Adolfo M. García
Technical team: Joaquín Ponferrada, Alejandro Sosa Welford, Franco Ferrante, Daniel Escobar Grisales, Gonzalo Pérez, Federico Dip, Iván Caro, Juan Francisco Saavedra
Music: Joaquín Ponferrada, Bruno Mesz, Adolfo M. García