In medieval times, a reliquary was a sacred vessel - often ornate, sometimes humble - designed to house holy relics. These containers served not just as protective enclosures but as interfaces between the physical and spiritual realms, transforming fragments of the material world into objects of contemplation and reverence.
This project reimagines the reliquary for the digital age. Here, our relics are not physical fragments but volumetric data captured from the living brain - three-dimensional recordings of the intricate architecture of human consciousness. Each scan represents a moment frozen in time, a ghostly echo of thought and being.
Like their medieval counterparts, these digital reliquaries serve both practical and contemplative purposes. They protect and present their contents while transforming raw medical data into experiences that invite deeper reflection. Each visualization approach offers a different lens through which to view these captured moments.
These vessels exist at the intersection of multiple traditions: medical imaging, data visualization, and contemplative art. They ask us to consider what it means to capture and contain something as ephemeral as a moment in a living brain, and how we might create spaces for both scientific observation and quiet reflection.
The project embraces both technical precision and artistic restraint, allowing the inherent beauty of the brain's structure to emerge without excessive ornamentation. It follows the principle of wu wei (無為) - action through non-action - letting the data's natural patterns and rhythms guide the visualization process.
In an era where data is often treated as mere information, these reliquaries suggest a different approach: one that honors the profound nature of what we're seeing when we look inside a living mind.