Mechanisms of Health: Chi Machine and Footbath
Mechanisms of Health is an interactive installation based upon devices of holistic healing. The recontextualization of existing treatments heightens their performance and provides viewers with a neutral environment of investigation. Removing the Chi Machine and Ionic Footbath Detox out of the practitioner’s office opens a new dialogue of personal biology, health, and a test of belief.
The Chi Machine is designed to shake your ankles back and forth, causing the body to gently joggle as the momentum builds. The purpose of the device is to activate the body’s energy (Chi) and circulate blood flow. The ankle cradle at the top of the machine oscillates at approximately 140/minute - a multiple of the average pulse rate and cerebrospinal pump rhythm, thus generating a rhythmic motion that oxygenates the body, detoxes the lymphatic system, and activates the flow of inner Chi.
By neither authenticating nor mocking the procedures, Mechanisms of Health provides viewers with a description of the presented devices, their function, and an explanation of the health benefits / what the device claims to achieve. Participants are then invited to receive an Ionizing Footbath Detox or Chi Machine session and decide, through personal experience and comparable analysis, whether or not they believe in the device.
The Ionic Footbath is described as a detoxifying machine that extracts toxins from the body through the porous surface of the feet. In this installation, Footbath sessions last for 30 minutes and the resulting sediments are preserved in jars (displayed on the wall). Over the course of the project, each participant’s footbath produced a unique result, varying in color, texture, and density, as can be observed in the jar details. According to the practice, each color corresponds to a different part of the body and indicates which organ or body system is releasing toxins. For example, Orange corresponds to the joint/muscle system; brown, to the liver; dark green, to the gallbladder; etc.
