Head in the Clouds
A Collaboration with Matthew Yacavone
Head in the Clouds is an immersive, multisensory installation featuring floating paper cloud forms and a central Tree of Life constructed from a reclaimed cherry tree. Hand-cut elements, softly “breathing” LED light, and subtle kinetic movement respond to participants’ breath and brain activity during EEG-guided meditation sessions. Drawing on principles of soft fascination, the work invites calm, reflection, and a deeper awareness of interconnectedness across human, natural, and technological systems.
Step into Head in the Clouds, an immersive installation where breath, light, and living systems converge.
Floating paper cloud forms drift overhead, surrounding a central Tree of Life sculpted from a reclaimed cherry tree. Hand-cut paper flowers, insects, and mushrooms emerge from its branches—illuminated by softly “breathing” LED lights that synchronize with a meditator’s breath. Select elements gently bloom through subtle motorized movement, bringing the environment into a quiet state of aliveness.
During scheduled sessions, visitors are invited to participate in guided meditation using EEG headbands. As internal states shift, the installation responds—translating invisible patterns of mind and body into a shared sensory landscape.
The space is designed to cultivate what psychologists call soft fascination—a gentle form of attention that allows the mind to rest and restore. Suspended between sky and earth, participants are held in a field where perception softens, awareness expands, and time slows.
At its core, Head in the Clouds proposes calm not as a passive state, but as an active infrastructure—one that can support empathy, deepen connection, and encourage more thoughtful, peaceful responses within ourselves and across society. As calm emerges within each participant, it ripples outward—suggesting that inner balance can become a shared, generative force.
To read more about the artists click here.
To sign up for the May 8-10 guided meditation sessions during the Mayhem 2026 Open House, click here.