MODULATION: Rewiring the Self

Author/Artist Name

• Ryan Bridgforth, Murray State UniversityFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 4-24-2026

Artist Statement

Inspired by the design philosophies of Dunne & Raby, Bruce Tharp, and SpeculativeEdu, my work bridges research, future thinking, and creativity through a process known as speculative design. Partially inspired by my own experience with chronic illness, as well as interest in human technology interaction through writers like Charlie Brooker, my recent work focuses on telling the story of neuromodulation. This technology uses stimulation to alter nerve activity, typically to fight drug-resistent pain and chronic conditions. Product design, advertisements, and other future objects are used to envision a world where this technology is as prevalent as smart phones.

Though the use cases have been extrapolated, neuromodulation could allow us to control our emotions and states of being in the future, bringing up new debates about the ethics of human inhibition, enhancement, and our reliance on technology. Presenting this possible future through my work forces viewers to be confronted with new values and considerations. For instance, the posters REHABILITATION, NOT MANIPULATION and Give Second Chances, Safely present a debate in which the government has proposed a law in which incarcerated individuals could receive neuromodulation treatment in exchange for reduced sentences.

The creative process behind these pieces is heavily inspired by the work of design-based research studio Extrapolation Factory, who scan for signals of possible futures and imagine them through design and happenings. I work in many mediums: graphic design, digital fabrication, sculpture, video, whichever communicates the topic best. Focusing on creating bold, contrasting designs that catch the eye, I mold imagery and typography into rhythmic compositions. Creating shared connections between my pieces through common imagery, as well as subtle details that imply bigger concepts, I reward close inspection. Ultimately, my goal is to consider what we are made of: not by providing all the answers, but by asking questions and bringing new debates to the table, sparking conversations to help navigate our future.

Advisor/Mentor

Gregory Scott Cook; Sarah Martin; Antje Gamble, PhD; T. Michael Martin

Description

Neuromodulation, defined as the process of altering nerve activity through targeted electrical or pharmaceutical agent stimulation, has a long and complex history that bridges neuroscience, medicine, and technology. While this technology exists in the modern day, the exhibition MODULATION: Rewiring the Self is set in a hypothetical future where neuromodulation devices (known in this future as neuromods) are as prevalent and accessible as smartphones are today. In this imagined future, neuromods are treated as essential to everyday life, with most of the population relying on them to regulate their emotions, enhance productivity, and reduce stress. As neuromod technology advanced further, data on the individual’s mind itself was required to more easily personalize stimulation. This led to the development of ‘neurostates,’ in which one's personal neurological makeup became an identifiable and transferable piece of data. Gone were the days of estimating a person’s needs through their behavior and outward appearances; instead, doctors, psychologists, and even advertisers could use concrete data to understand an individual inside and out, allowing hyperspecific customization in all aspects of human life.

MODULATION: Rewiring the Self highlights both historic and contemporary (future) views on neuromods and their effects on culture, institutions, and society. This hypothetical future scenario as well as the contents of the exhibition have been fabricated myself, as an act of Speculative Design–inspired in part by the design philosophies of Dunne and Raby, Extrapolation Factory, and SpeculativeEdu. Constructing this multifaceted project has been an opportunity to understand how research, futurology, critical thinking, and creativity intersect in my creative practice. Partially inspired by my own experience with chronic illness, as well as an interest in human technology interaction through writers like Charlie Brooker, the exhibition uses a projected history of neuromods as a vessel to provoke discussion/debate in our current time about the ethics of human inhibition and enhancement, our reliance on technology, and the exchange of personal data. Product design, advertisements, and the construction of other ‘future’ objects have been employed in order to better envision this world in a tangible way, making the scenario feel alive and provide context clues as to how neuromods could shape our world. Through the presentation of these speculative objects and utilizing the institutional authority of museum display to provide narrative information, my goal is to create a compelling vision of future technology and human integration told through a curated, speculative design-focused exhibition.

  The exhibition includes:

4 Package Designs

8 Poster Designs

1 T-Shirt Design

1 LED Sign

1 Protest Sign

1 Motion Graphic Ad

2 Sculptural Objects/Product Designs

1 Exhibition Introductory Installation

Photo Credit

All photos taken by Ryan Bridgforth

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Bridgforth, Ryan, "MODULATION: Rewiring the Self" (2026). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 170.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/170