RESORACLE ─ Heartbeat Verification System ─
Megumu Hanayama
Sound Artist |Japan
OTHER PERSPECTIVE
DETAILS OF THE WORK
The way human existence has undergone rapid transformation alongside technological evolution. From the emergence of VTubers in 2016, the rise of immersive platforms like VRChat in 2018, to the normalization of online communication during the 2020 pandemic, our existence in digital spaces has shifted from being ""something special"" to ""another daily reality."" Then in 2024, the introduction of Apple Vision Pro brought further revolution to the way we exist. Its ""Spatial Persona"" feature manifests in space as remarkably natural representations of ""someone themselves,"" with the wearer's expressions, gaze, and physical position reflected in real-time. However, coinciding with the rapid advancement of AI technology since 2022, questions about the authenticity of existence in digital spaces have also deepened.
RESORACLE was born as a response to these questions. Named by combining "Resonance" with "Oracle," this system attempts to sense ""the certainty of existence"" using heartbeats—a vital sound essential to human life that is difficult to replicate or simulate. The system operates by connecting a dedicated app with Vision Pro via OSC communication, visualizing heartbeats as pulsating red particles called "RESONITE (crystals of existence)" that emerge in space. This space more vividly embodies one's own and others' existence, and through it emerges a deeply personal experience of reaffirming that we remain beings whose hearts continue to beat in this world where digital and physical intersect.
CREATOR PROFILE
Megumu Hanayama
Sound Artist |Japan
Megumu Hanayama is a composer and sound artist who explores the intersection of body and sound through grotesque sound installations and performances. Graduated from the Department of Musical Creativity and the Environment, Tokyo University of the Arts, and completed a master's degree in Information Design at Tama Art University. Currently working as a sound engineer at an electronic instrument manufacturer.
X: https://x.com/MegumuHanayama
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MegumuHanayama
HP: https://megumuhanayama.com/
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「RESORACLE ─ Heartbeat Verification System ─」 is a fascinating exploration of connection through technology, centering on the heart—one of the most powerful and deeply human aspects of our existence. The heart is a powerful bridge between the physical and emotional realms, not only sustaining life but also regulating emotions, influencing cognition, and fostering deep human connection through its biological, energetic, and symbolic significance.
In a world where digital spaces are becoming more entwined with daily life, using heartbeats as a marker of presence by visualising it as pulsating “RESONITE” particles feels both poetic and profound making digital existence feel more tangible. This piece offers a unique perspective on embodied presence in virtual spaces, grounding technology in something real, biological, and human. It reminds us that even in virtual spaces, our existence is not just seen but felt.
I hope to see more heart-centered approaches to technology & digital spaces!NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
KEIKEN
Artist Collective
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This is a novel idea that puts the human being at the center of a virtual experience. With the rise of AI, trust in the fact that users are interacting with another 'real' human being will almost certainly become more of an important question in immersive experiences.
Whilst virtual and mixed reality technology provide an incredible ability to connect people through digital presence, AI-powered avatars and virtual humans are making it harder for users to know when an interaction is with another real human being. RESORACLE offers a solution that combines cutting edge XR technology with a fundamental part of human biology - our heartbeats.
It also raises questions about how we will verify our humanity in the not-so-distant future when existing alongside superintelligent AI beings, which now almost seem like an inevitability as technology rapidly advances.AWE PRIZE JURY
AWE
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House music typically operates around 120 BPM, a tempo derived from the threshold of tachycardia—a rapid heartbeat. In other words, the rhythm of the dance floor pulses in resonance with the human heartbeat.
The title RESORACLE is a coined term combining Resonance (meaning “harmonic vibration” or “evocation”) and Oracle (meaning “prophecy” or “divine revelation”). This metaphysical work explores a profoundly essential form of data mining in the era of massive data flow.
The heartbeat—a crystallization of existence—is emerging, alongside brainwaves, as a new form of bodily signature in an age where personal data is heavily protected. This piece encapsulates both the concerns and possibilities of big data in 2024, bringing them into the public consciousness.NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury President
Naohiro Ukawa
Genzai(Just now) Artist / Host of DOMMUNE
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Our earliest memory might be the sound of our mother’s heartbeat.
That deep, rhythmic pulse—like the hum of an engine—becomes undeniable when we bury our faces into the fur of a cat, feeling the presence of another living being.
The heart, an instrument in its own right, is both a primal experience and an essential organ. By turning its sound into a tool for communication, we affirm the rhythm of life itself.
Beyond simply recognizing the sounds emitted by the body, RESORACLE questions the heartbeat as an existential marker. It’s not just about defining life—it’s about contemplating the pulse of existence itself.NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
Saeborg
Artist
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RESORACLE is a thoughtful exploration of existence in digital spaces, responding to the evolution of technology and the shifting nature of human presence online. By using heartbeats—a very human signal—this project offers a poetic and personal way to reaffirm physical presence in a world where the boundaries between digital and real continue to blur. The attention to detail in both the software and presentation enhances the work, making it a compelling and well-executed piece.
NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
David OReilly
Multidisciplinary Artist
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The work Resoracle is an outstanding contribution to this award by delving into the social possibilities of XR. It also raises essential questions about how our self-image and self-experience will transform in the face of the increasingly immersive presence of interactive extended realities. This is not only an exciting topic in terms of technological development but also a fundamental subject of artistic contemplation and introspection.
By doing so, the project reflects on the entire spectrum of applications for spatial computing and the many directions in which this emerging technology will evolve - both as a tool and stage for artistic work and as an extension of our communicative possibilities. Thus, this project is not only an almost inevitable award winner but also a compelling example of what artistic research can achieve.NEWVIEW AWARDS 2024 Jury
Gerfried Stocker
Media artist and artistic director of Ars Electronica
FEATURING WORKS
Fashion, music, film, graphic, illustration, etc.
A group of new cultural experience works created together with artists who can share the realistic feeling of the same era.