Dora Zoi

This project explores MRI brain scans as shifting, time-based portraits of the mind. I am drawn to the brain as a place of change: adapting, rewiring, unfolding. MRI works by aligning atoms in the body through magnetism. A brief interruption by radio waves moves them, and as they return to balance, they release signals that reveal what is already there. This reminds me that transformation doesn’t always mean adding something new. Sometimes, it means listening more closely to what already exists. By reimagining MRI not as a diagnostic tool but as a poetic lens into the movement of the mind, this project reflects on how we relate to change. Change can be a form of returning, of re-understanding.

I’m excited about this project because it offers a chance to connect with people working in clinical imaging and neuroscience, those who engage with MRI scans every day in a scientific or medical context. I want to learn directly from them, understand how they interpret these images, and let those conversations guide the conceptual direction of my work. It’s not only about using the images artistically, but about listening to the knowledge and perspectives behind them.