SHIMMERING ELECTROMAGNETIC BODIES
The project intends to explore the shimmering electromagnetic bodies creating new architectural spaces and then build these spaces in the virtual environment by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) technique. This is a technique which was developed from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) theory.
Isidor Isaac Rabi found that atomic nucleuses which are in magnetic field absorb the electromagnetic waves in certain frequencies in the year 1938. By 1946 NMR was discovered by Felix Bloch and Edward Mills Purcell that it is a physical condition related to atomic nucleuses. All stable nucleuses that contain an odd number of protons and/or of neutrons have an intrinsic magnetic moment and the most commonly studied nucleuses are 1H and 13C. Magnetic nucleuses have in a magnetic field and applied electromagnetic (EM) pulse or pulses, which cause the nucleuses to absorb energy from the EM pulse and radiate this energy back out. The energy radiated back out is at a specific resonance frequency which depends on the strength of the magnetic field and other factors. This allows the observation of physical and chemical properties of an atomic nucleus. By 1973 NMR was started to apply in imaging field and the technique was entitled as NMRI, Which is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize the internal structure and function of the body. It uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body. Radio frequency (RF) fields are used to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization, causing the hydrogen nucleuses to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner linked to a computer. This signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to build up enough information to construct an image of the body.
In this project, firstly, a powerful magnetic field is constituted around the belly dancer and four scanner devices which are linked to computer are embedded different parts of her body (hands, head, hips and feet), which are essential for Bell dance. The vibration which is emerged by the shaking and shimmering of her body produces powerful sounds which can be used instead of radio frequencies. The hydrogen atoms which are in the body are affected by these sounds and enable scanners to observe and record their locations in terms of intensity and their motions. This data collected from the body is transmitted to computer from the scanners. As a result of this, by observing the shimmering, shaking or in general word the motion of body new architectural spaces are created.
Belly dance which emerged first time in Middle East today has a great popularity worldwide. During the history, it was formed by different societies thus it was developed in terms of different regions of the world. It includes history, culture diversities and sexuality. This project gives opportunity to examine the translation of belly dancing as cultural motion of atomic structures.
