Breath exists at the boundaries: our every exhalation is an intimate exchange between our bodies and environment, one becoming the other. Breath Vessels draws attention to the very physical nature of this life-sustaining ritual.
In Hebrew the word רוח can be translated as breath, wind, or spirit. The English word “spirit” comes from the Latin “spiritus” (breath). Yet we rarely think about our own breathing unless it is endangered.
In this project, a virtual 3D model is generated in realtime as one exhales into a handheld shell-like form. The strength and speed of the breath at each moment determines the width of the vessel. These forms are then 3D printed in ceramic or PLA. Each vessel captures a unique moment: the diffusion of oneself back into the air, frozen in time.
Technical details
The work is powered by an Arduino outfitted with an accelerometer and the Rev C Wind Sensor (anemometer) by Modern Device. Anemometer readings are transmitted to a Java application on a computer, where a 3D model is generated in realtime in response to the breath pattern. This is saved as an STL file for later printing using Karsten Schmidt’s Toxiclibs library. An image of the virtual model is also captured and added to an archive of breaths.