I’MMATERIAL No.1: The Musical Lie Detector

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

In 2020, I created my debut long durational work Forced Misophonia: BLAST BLOW PULSE, curated by the Marina Abramović Institute. Long durational performance art had rarely been explored in a musical context, and this experience offered me a new and more profound approach to musical performance. Traditional musical performances are shaped by strict time limits, where artists must compress expression into a fixed schedule. This can place unnatural boundaries on musical art. In contrast, long durational performance allows time to unfold freely, creating space for honesty and genuine expression to emerge without pressure. With I’MMATERIAL, I would like to begin a series of experimental long durational musical performances. The first work, No.1: The Musical Lie Detector, links live musical performance with a professional forensic-grade polygraph, adapted for artistic use. During daily sessions of 4–8 hours, I will perform repertoire of various musical styles and improvisations while the polygraph records physiological responses. The documented results will be catalogued together with the performances, creating a unique archive of sound and response. This project represents the first known attempt to approach the idea of a “musical lie detector,” using the performance period as a space for exploration rather than a final claim, an attempt that only a practicing musician, living daily with the discipline and vulnerability of performance, can truly undertake. The trumpet has long symbolized justice and truth across many cultures and religions. With more than 25 years of musical practice, I seek to reflect its inherent qualities of integrity, clarity, and honesty. I’MMATERIAL No.1: The Musical Lie Detector is both an artistic experiment and a personal reflection, deeply influenced by Finland’s culture of honesty, where silence carries value and truth is central.