Tina Gonsalves’ Chameleon Project :: February 13, 2008; 7 - 8:30 pm :: The Dana Centre, 165 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London.

Are emotions infectious? Why can one person make a previously upbeat group feel glum? How does empathy work? Experience emotional contagion yourselves and chat to artist, Tina Gonsalves and the neuroscientists behind the interactive video and sound art installation Chameleon. Physiologist Harry Witchell, (commentator for “On the Couch With Big Brother”) will reveal the elements of non- verbal communication as the audience take part in a live art event that demonstrates emotional contagion. Neuroscientist, Neil Harrison will discuss the biological mechanisms of how we infect each other with our emotions.

Over the event, we will also discuss the beginnings of the Chameleon Project, a two year collaboration between artist Tina Gonsalves, social neuroscientist Chris Frith, emotion neuroscientist Hugo Critchley, and computer scientists from the affective computing group at the Media Lab, MIT. Chameleon will become an interactive, audio-visual installation driven by emotional expression. It will tap into the dynamics of ever-changing social encounters that shape and share emotions.

The project has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Australian Network for Art and Technology Synapse Residency and the Banff New Media Institute. The project is managed by SCAN and the final prototype will be exhibited in late 2009.