Through its installation “PushMi PullYu”, Hyphen-Labs encourages the public to explore concepts of consciousness and decision-making based on much debated questions such as: How do we make decisions? How are they influenced by our social environment? Is free will an illusion?

The installation is inspired by swarm behavior as observed in nature, and the research on free will done by neuroscientist Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes, whose dialogue with Hyphen-Labs was of fundamental significance for the project. Haynes’ experiments reveal that brain signalling involved in decision-making occurs seven to ten seconds prior to what is thought of as a conscious decision, an insight that has provided new fertile ground for the advocates of determinism. This was however followed in 2015 by a work in which he was able to show that this very brain signal can be “overruled” by a conscious decision.

The exhibition explores the space between ‘free will’ and determinism and between individualism and collective behaviour. In reference to Haynes’ studies, Hyphen-Labs has collaborated with swarm researcher Dr. Mary Katherine Heinrich and design and technology studio Kai Lab to reprogram robots for domestic use. Visitors can interact with these machines by controlling their movements via red or blue light pulses. Depending on the colour scheme, the machines change their course and new formations are constantly appearing in the room.

Hyphen-Labs is an international studio working at the intersection of technology, art, science, and the future. Founded in 2014 by the Mexican-American engineer Carmen Aguilar y Wedge and the Turkish architect Ece Tankal, Hyphen-Labs collaborates with women psychologists, programmers, artists, scientists, and other professionals from all over the world. The studio uses its diverse expertise and cultural perspectives to develop works that address current social discourses, outline technological innovations, and are informed by scientific research.