Brain death gives birth to sublime artwork Published on: 18 April 2016 The electronic signals emitted by the brain at the time of death have inspired a unique audio-visual art installation Active collaboration Created by Â鶹´«Ã½ PhD student Gareth Hudson, the installation forms the third and final piece of a larger work called ‘Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt’. Using light and sound, the work aims to explore the nature of mortality and encourages us to think about our own experiences of death and our attitudes towards it. The new installation also aims evoke aspects of the work of German philosopher Martin Heidegger, who suggested that in order to lead an ‘authentic’ life, a person had to live with the concept of their mortality close to them. For Work III, Gareth collaborated with Andy Hanson, an EEG Technologist at Â鶹´«Ã½’s, to record his own normal, healthy brain waves. A custom piece of software was then used to simulate what would happen to these waves during a fatal cardiac arrest. The results were interpreted into music for a string quartet, composed by Phil Begg, a sound artist and music PhD student at Â鶹´«Ã½. Alongside this, Gareth created the visual component of the installation from lights and video. As with the two earlier pieces, which were also audio-visual, the theme running throughout is that of transcendence and the notion of the sublime. But despite the emotional nature of the subject, Gareth says he has approached it from a straightforward and unassuming point of view. Gareth explains: “I’ve looked at what my own death might look like from the anodyne view of voltage fluctuations in the neurons of my brain and from this created an immersive environment in which the viewer hopefully can lose themselves for a moment. In this way, the final installation aims to be a reflection not just of mortality but also of life.” Image from Gareth Hudson's latest installation, now showing at the Globe Gallery Excellent public response Works I and II were very well received, with both pieces achieving some of the most positive feedback from visitors in the Globe Gallery’s 20 year history. “The feedback from the earlier pieces was incredible,” Gareth says. “It has been massively rewarding to see people having such a reaction to it.” The full body of work making up “Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt” has been supported by and – the Faculty of Medical Science’s programme of patient and public engagement and involvement. , Associate Dean for Patient and Public Engagement, Â鶹´«Ã½, said: “This work was supported by an active collaboration between different parts of the University to stimulate exciting interactions between the creative arts and the medical sciences. This piece has addressed a challenging area in a totally innovative way.” , Director, Â鶹´«Ã½ Institute for Creative Arts Practice which supports creative arts practitioners across the University added: “Gareth’s work demonstrates the diverse range of creative work that is undertaken across a variety of disciplines, in this case, Fine Art, Music and Neuroscience. The excellent public response to Gareth’s work is evidence of how our creative innovators are having an impact on the city’s vibrant arts scene.” “Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt: Work III” is showing at the , Pilgrim Street, Â鶹´«Ã½ until 14 May when it will form part of programme. Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Â鶹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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