An innovative interactive art exhibition reveals how coffee influences your brainwaves. ‘Art of the Espresso’, a one off exhibition in London offered coffee enthusiasts the chance to savour a cuppa whilst crafting their own masterpiece. The event – described as a visual celebration of the nation’s favourite morning ritual – is taking place today only, at London’s Gallery Different.
Guests are encouraged to don an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset, typically used in scientific labs, which monitors their brainwave patterns as they experience their coffee through sight, smell, touch, and taste. The EEG then converts these brainwaves into a unique piece of artwork for visitors to take home.
Food anthropologist Caroline Hobkinson has been turning these brainwaves into custom-made art pieces to celebrate the launch of Breville’s Barista Series – the Slimline, Classic, and Sense.
Discussing the event, she said: “Coffee is a deeply personal ritual. The sheer anticipation, the smell and the final much longed-for sip create mesmerising brain signatures that are completely personal.
“I’ve transformed these into visualisations, depicting glowing streams of liquid energy, capturing the sensation of stimulation as it spreads through the brain.”
The pop-up gallery follows a study by Breville involving 2,000 coffee drinkers, revealing that 23% can’t function without their morning brew.
One in ten confessed they won’t engage in conversation with anyone until they’ve had their first sip. Meanwhile, others won’t prepare breakfast, take a shower, check their emails, or make decisions.
Other activities coffee enthusiasts avoid until they’ve had their morning brew include using public transport, walking the dog, and managing the school run. Some even refuse to smile or kiss their partner.
It appears that two-thirds are not confident in making the beverage at home. The biggest obstacles are lacking the right equipment, not having high-quality beans, and the time it takes to prepare.
For 53%, they opt to buy a takeaway coffee instead, purchasing three on average per week and spending an average of £11.22 in the process.
Over the course of the year, this amounts to around £583.
Conducted through OnePoll, the study found for 33%, when a cup of coffee is made correctly, ‘it’s like art’.
A spokesperson for Breville, whose new range of machines which is designed to produce café-quality coffee at home is available now, said: “Coffee isn’t just a drink – it’s the spark that powers the nation’s mornings.
“Today’s unique café experience shows the hidden magic behind that first sip, and how the right machine can bring that joy into kitchens every day.”
TOP 10 FAVOURITE TYPES OF COFFEE:
- Cappuccino
- Latte
- Americano
- Flat White
- Espresso
- Filter with milk
- Iced Coffee
- Mocha
- Iced Latte
- Macchiato