BREATH ing HEART

Keimeyer’s large-scale installation, BREATH ing HEART, features an immersive walk-in heart, which fills itself with air and pulses in a breathing rhythm accompanied by light, video, scent, and sound. The installation debuted at Art Basel 2017 at Filter4.

Keimeyer invites her audience to enter the breathing heart, lie down and listen to their own breath and heartbeat. “I would like to give people the experience to confront and feel themselves“, the artist said.

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At Filter4, the vault was staged as the interior of the visitor’s own body. Artificial, oversized lung alveoli, vein-like light installations and spatially wandering sounds of music, heartbeat and breathe created a space for visitors to focus on their inner being.

The heart measured 75 cubic meters and required 70 helpers to set up the 250 kg of materials.

Artistic collaboration with:
Kling Klang Klong: Sound Concept
Studio Farbraum: Lighting
Lux Imago: Photography/Documentation
Sissel Tolaas: Smell

“If it were possible to enter into an analogue heart, it could serve as a trigger for many people to finally go within themselves. Johanna Keimeyer already made this turnaround…“ – Porky, musician (Deichkind)

To achieve BREATH ing HEART, Keimeyer started her crowdfunding-campaign and successfully won Novartis as a major sponsor for the realization of the interactive heart object, as well as private supporters Robert Hankin and Ruth Stadler. Speakers of the British manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins ensured the implementation of the sound field and strongly supported the project as well. Mezeaudio also joined, providing headsets. Open Innovation Space supported the project with 3D printed parts and K.Schweizerwith electrical engineering. KIRRON light components shine with establishing their innovative DycoLED light system. Emil Frey AG Autocenter Münchenstein provide the cars for the shuttle service. The renowned Berlin film production company Picsters document the project. Philippe Hoerle-Guggenheim, founder of HG Contemporary Gallery NYC, supported and presented the project.

Fredy Hadorn from Licht Feld Gallery contributed to the location Filter4.