HEARTSYNC by Nino Basilashvili

HEARTSYNC is an interactive installation that turns live heart rate data into a shared sensory experience. Through projection, sound, and breathing exercises, participants are invited not only to feel their own heartbeat but also to see the heartbeats of others, all synchronized in a single visual rhythm.

HEARTSYNC is a creation by artist and researcher Nino Basilashvili, developed since 2018. The installation has previously been presented at events such as the Dutch Design Week, Carré Amsterdam (Studio DRIFT), De Effenaar, and NPO Radio 1. The residency at Katoenhuis in August and September 2025 marked a new phase in the artistic and social exploration of the installation and offered a platform for collaborative research with members of the Medical Delta Research Group “Health Promotion with Arts and Culture” (Ontzorgen met Kunst en Cultuur), including Julia Peters and Joost Oude Groeninger (Erasmus MC), Julian Schaap (Erasmus University Rotterdam), and Janine Stubbe (Codarts Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam).

In sessions of 10 people, heart rate synchronization is experienced live. Participants wear a sensor (earclip) and are guided through a soundscape and voice-over, encouraging them to slow down and breathe deeper. As the breath and heart rates align, individual light circles on the floor transform into complex geometric patterns, representing the group rhythm. The installation literally shows what it means to be in connection as a group.

During the residency in August and September 2025, HEARTSYNC was further developed through participatory sessions with anyone who wished to take part (local residents of Delfshaven, immersive art enthusiasts, researchers, Rotterdam locals, and curious individuals). The focus was on the role of technology and ritual in enhancing collective well-being. In addition to the sessions, a short documentary and research report was developed.

Credit: Mar Gimeno Lumbiarres