Emotion Hero

At the exhibition from October 20, 2017 to August 5, 2018

What does it mean to feel 48% surprised and 18% joyful? Over recent years new software has emerged that estimates what people feel based on their facial expressions. Consequently, emotion recognition software is being used both as a tool for »objective« measurements as well as a tool for training one's facial expressions, e. g., for job interviews. Ruben van de Ven's work is a literal translation of the paradoxical relation between these applications of the technology.

»Emotion Hero« consists of a video game, which is freely downloadable for everybody with an Android device. Inspired by »Guitar Hero«, the user scores points by following given cues. It provides detailed feedback on the mechanics of the face, revealing that rather than being a window on the brain, the face is a controllable surface. In addition, the scores of the game are projected and displayed in a fixed grid, recalling historical practices that, through extensive measurement and administration, also aimed to delineate something which is conceptually not delineated.

In essence, »Emotion Hero« is a playful invitation to open up the box of expression analysis to reveal the assumptions that underlie this technology.

This project was produced as part of the »Summer Sessions Network for Talent Development«, a coproduction of Arquivo 237 and V2_Lab for the Unstable Media, it was funded by the Creative Industries Fund NL. The game's emotional intelligence is powered by Affectiva.