By training a deep neural network to translate subconscious neurobiological responses into physical stimulations of bodies, Hacking Heuristics challenges our inherent desire for control. If an algorithm could re-introduce forgotten information back to our bodies, and consequently, create more holistic meanings in the mind, are we willing to hand over our independence?

What we think, feel, and actively experience is subconsciously curated to produce responses that increase our chances of survival. Our ability to communicate complex meanings through written and spoken language empowered our expansion of knowledge, whilst present technologies have globally connected us all. Yet our communication has remained primarily visual and verbal, dogmatising linear, symbolic thinking, while allowing the power of intuition to be denigrated. We have commodified almost all life on Earth, becoming largely detached from the diverse ecologies on the planet.

In a destabilising world, where our biggest threat to survival is ourselves, we are compelled to re-examine, and re-imagine our means of communicating and connecting with other beings. By acknowledging that our language determines the nature and quality of our thoughts and actions, it becomes clear that our communication requires more multi-disciplinary sensing and holistic awareness, in order to collectively grasp and respond to the complexities and hyperobjects that have become an intrinsic part of our life.

Hacking Heuristics was developed in collaboration with Marcel de Jeu from the department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, and supported by the Bio Art & Design Award (BAD Award).